


A New Hacker Has Entered the Chat

by LumiOlivier



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types, Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Hacking, Mint Eye AU, Morphine (DRAMAtical Murder), Something I needed in my life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-01-25 00:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 79,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21347125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LumiOlivier/pseuds/LumiOlivier
Summary: The RFA is usually pretty airtight when it comes to their information.  Although, when their systems end up getting hacked, Seven and MC put their heads together to figure out who did it and why their source is coming from two different places.
Comments: 41
Kudos: 22





	1. Hole in the Wall

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. I'm Lumi. That is, if we haven't met before. I've been around here for (at the time of posting this) seven months. I know it's not long, but it's long enough. Regardless, hello. It's a pleasure seeing you. You look lovely today. Even if you're feeling like a bridge troll. You're still adorable to me. But this was something I came up with when the rumors that Cheritz was thinking about a new game. This would make a hell of a game. But now, I'm going to go over here and go ahead. Enjoy yourselves, friends. Tell me what you think. Please be nice. That's all I ask. And if you come back next Thursday, you are a trooper and I love you already. K bye.

Peace was always an illusion. Peace is the greatest lie humanity ever told itself. Except for maybe when the calories in baked goods didn’t count for the baker. Peace was the name given to the wait time between tragedies. Although, that’s for those who come from pessimistic schools of thought. For a more cheerful and optimistic bunch, peace is the time in which mankind applies what they’ve learned from the last tragedy. However, one person’s interpretation of those events is more than likely not the same as another’s. And the great, grand cycle of tragedy and peace begins anew. Order to disorder to order again only to be back in disorder and so on.

Philosophies like these were often discussed between V and his ex-fiancée. He hardly ever wanted to talk about her anymore, given the atrocities she’s caused. Taking advantage of his kind and gentle nature, of a pair of brothers’ ongoing feud, of the love she had from her family, of a young girl’s innocence in everything. Along with robbing V of his most valued treasure; his sight. He never wanted to think of Rika ever again. And no one could blame him.

That didn’t mean V had completely lost the desire to wax philosophic once in a while. Despite her finally being dead, V knew he’d always have friends, allies, his family. All of them had their own quirks and unique personalities. He knew he could always share what was on his mind with his best friend Jumin. But he knew Jumin was constantly busy, running his company. Or the more likely route, ordering his assistant to run it for him. Even though Jumin wasn’t always readily available, V knew one person who always had the most…unique perspective on the world. His ulterior motives for visiting would remain a secret for the time being.

Knock, knock.

“What’s the password?” a small speaker barked at him.

“I still don’t speak Arabic, Luciel,” V told him, “Could you open the door please?”

“V!” the tumblers on the large mechanical lock clicked and the front door opened, “This is a pleasant surprise. Sure, you’re no Publisher’s Clearing House, but it’s good to see you!”

“It’s been far too long since I last paid you a visit,” V apologized, “And I’m sorry I came over unannounced.”

“Oh, hush.” The two of them walked into the lavish house, “Say hi, Saeran!”

“Who is it?” Saeran wouldn’t break eye contact with the TV.

“It’s V.”

“No.” Saeran and V had…let’s just call it a checkered past. And it all stemmed back to Rika. V had the chance to get Saeran out of her claws. He could’ve brought him back to his brother. But before he could act, it was already too late. The bitterness in Saeran’s voice cut V deep, but he understood. As did his brother, “Look, Saeyoung, if you two are going to be buddies, could you take it somewhere that’s not the living room? I’m trying to watch Great British Bake Off.”

“Who’s winning?”

“Saeyoung!”

“Alright, alright,” he backed off, “I see someone’s a little salty today. Saeran, have you had a juice box and a nap today?”

“No,” Saeran rolled his eyes.

“That explains it,” he bounced off into the kitchen and searched the fridge for his brother’s juice box, gently tossing it to him, “Here. You want a blanket, too?”

“I got one.”

“Fine,” he gave his brother a pat on the head, “Nighty night, Saeran!”

“Leave.”

“I see he’s delightful as always,” V pointed out, taking a seat in the kitchen, “Not why I’m here, though. How are you, Seven?”

“Same old, same old,” Seven sat at the bar with a soda can in his hand, “A little verbal abuse from Saeran, checking the monitors once in a while. Work is slow these days.”

“Quiet’s a good thing, isn’t it?” V wondered, “That means everything’s ok.”

“Sure,” Seven shifted in his chair, “It’s great if you’re not me.”

“Are things getting bad again?” V worried. He knew all too well how bad Seven can get when the dark recesses of his mind took over.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Seven let his legs dangle over the barstool, “The meds help.”

“Are you taking them every day?”

“Vanderwood makes sure of it,” Seven reported, “And Vanderwood’s reminder reminds me to remind Saeran about his.”

“Is he actually following through?”

“It’s Saeran,” Seven shrugged, “I don’t see the bottles getting any lower, but…I can’t force it down his throat. As much as I’d love to some days. If I try helping him, he just pushes me away.”

“This might be me being optimistic,” V thought, “But maybe one day, Saeran will come around.”

“That’ll be the day I start playing the lottery,” Seven chuckled to himself to keep the tears away, “But I’m sure you didn’t come here to check up on Saeran. What’s new with you?”

“Since you were complaining about things being quiet,” V pulled a neatly organized file out of the bag on his hip, “How would you feel about a job?”

“A job?” Seven’s melancholic mood took a sudden turn for the better, “For little old me? V, you shouldn’t have! You know, you spoil me.”

“I figured that’d brighten your spirits,” V smiled, “Although, I wish they were better circumstances.”

“Look at this,” Seven admired the file in front of him like most would appreciate a piece of fine art or a dirty magazine centerfold. Seven wasn’t exactly what most would consider normal, “Everything’s nicely labeled and color coded and sectioned off. My god, V. This is a borderline sexy file. I take it the new assistant is working out for you.”

“Like a charm,” V nodded, “I try not to work her too hard.”

“You’re avoiding becoming Jumin like the plague, aren’t you, V?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” V bit his lip, knowing exactly what Seven meant. His best friend was a slave driver, “I just don’t want to overwork MC.”

“She has definitely put together one sexy folder,” Seven swooned, skimming things over, “Wait a gosh golly darn diddly second. Aren’t these people regular guests at RFA parties?”

“That’s right,” V confirmed, “You’ve already found the commonality. Come on, Seven. I know you can figure out what I’m asking you. Keep looking through it.”

“Let’s see,” Seven thought it over, “You said you wanted to give me this job under better circumstances, so that must mean something strange is in the neighborhood. MC’s not exactly an idiot. I showed her the ins and outs of the firewalls in the RFA’s systems. If you’re coming to me for my assistance with files on different RFA guests, that must mean OUR SYSTEMS GOT HACKED?!”

“Unfortunately,” V sighed out, “MC tried to cut the breach off at the source, but whoever our hacker was did a thorough job of covering their tracks.”

“Hold on…” Seven cranked his neck back, “Saeran!”

“WHAT?!” Saeran snapped angrily from the living room.

“Were you sleeping?”

“NO! WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

“Did you hack the RFA files for fun again?” Seven asked.

“No,” Saeran joined V and Seven in the kitchen with his blanket wrapped around him, “Did the RFA get hacked?”

“Yep,” Seven chimed, “Looks like it. Do you know if the hacker took anything, V?”

“There aren’t any files missing,” V went on, “But these were the ones that were rifled through.”

“Sounds like you need better security,” Saeran pointed out, “Is MC not doing the job?”

“MC’s doing the best she can with what she has,” V defended her, “But she said whoever hacked us knew what they were doing. If it weren’t for the firewalls, no one would be able to tell someone was in there. This was a professional.”

“Like me!” Seven sang, “I’m sorry, V. I don’t mean to sound like I’m in such a good mood because, well, let’s be honest. RFA files getting hacked isn’t exactly a good thing, but dammit, I’m ecstatic! When can we start? That is, if Saeran’s joining me on this adventure.”

“I’m sure the backup would be appreciated,” V insisted, hoping this could be the olive branch between him and Saeran, “Do you want to get in on it, Saeran?”

“No, thanks,” Saeran brushed him off, “Saeyoung, if you need me, call me.”

“Will do!” Seven gave him a little salute, jumping down from his barstool, “Give me about twenty minutes to pack up my laptop and provisions and we’ll get to work.”

“There’s already a case of Dr. Pepper waiting for you, Seven. MC put it in the fridge this morning.”

“A man after my own heart,” Seven beamed, taking off for his office with a spring in his step, “Yay! I got a job!”

“And there he goes,” Saeran sighed out, “If we didn’t have the same face, I’d think I was adopted.”

“You couldn’t deny him if you wanted to, Saeran,” V leaned against the back of the couch.

“You know as well as I do that I can,” Saeran grumbled, a hint of acidity in his voice, “And I have. That goes on for a better part of a decade.”

“Saeran…” V tried his best to make things a little better, “I really am sorry for what happened with…”

“No,” Saeran cut him off, “I don’t want the pity party, V. Please. We’re both better than that. Just want to watch my Great British Bake Off and take a nap, if that’s alright with you.”

“Alright.” Seven’s words rang in V’s head. _If I try helping him, he just pushes me away. _V backed off and left Saeran to brood over different kinds of cake. 

“Ready!” Seven popped out with a bag on his shoulder, “Bye, Saeran! I should be back before dark. If I’m not, you know where I’ll be.”

“V’s,” Saeran gave him a half-hearted wave, “Got it. See you tonight.”

And so, V and Seven took off for V’s house. After everything that had gone down with Rika and Mint Eye, the highly classified information the RFA had needed to be moved from what used to be her apartment, only for it to become MC’s apartment through some rather nefarious means. That’s when, as a collective, the remaining members of the RFA decided it’d be best to keep it on their original hard drives in V’s basement, where MC had spent a good majority of her days when she and V weren’t out and about. 

“Honey!” Seven skipped down the basement stairs, still riding the buzz of the news, “I’m home!”

“Hi, Seven,” MC sat at the monitors, doing her best to find where their hacker weaseled their way in, “Thank you, V.”

“You’re welcome,” V stood in the doorway, “If you need anything, MC, let me know.”

“I got a Seven,” she smiled, “Between the two of us, we should have this handled.”

“Alright,” V let it go, “You two play nice down here.”

“We will,” MC promised, shooing him away. Immediately, Seven’s arms went around her waist.

“I missed you so much, MC!” Seven could hardly contain himself, “It feels like I don’t get to see you anymore!”

“You know where I live, you moron,” MC giggled, reveling in Seven’s embrace, “If I’m not there, I’m here.”

“I know,” Seven sighed out, “But still. Always chained to the desk.”

“I thought you said work was slow,” MC pointed out, “At least, that’s what V said.”

“It has been kind of slow lately,” Seven confirmed, “But by the smell of things down here, things are about to get interesting again, aren’t they?”

“It would seem so,” MC checked the monitors, “So, where did I go wrong?

“Well,” Seven looked over her shoulder at the million and one different lines of computer code on her screen, “Did you think to trace their IP address?”

MC’s face lost all color, “What?”

“MC…” Seven sighed out her name like a disappointed parent, shaking his head, “You can’t tell me that, in all the things I’ve taught you, tracing the IP address never crossed your mind.”

“Well…” she bit her lip, not exactly proud of herself, “I’ve been trying to find the hole in the wall, so we could fix it. And I thought we’d find who made the hole in the first place afterward.”

“You didn’t think to trace the IP address,” he held his face in his hands, “MC…I thought I raised you better. Nevertheless, that’s why I’m here. I’ll trace the IP. You find and fix the hole. Sound like a plan?”

“That, I can do,” MC hid her face in a mixture of shame and embarrassment. Seven understood where she was coming from, though. He just liked to occasionally give her a hard time. One of the many ways the two of them played nicely together. 

“Alrighty roo, my dude,” Seven got a hit, “Looks like the IP address is coming from! MC, a drumroll, if you please.”

“Got it,” MC made a makeshift drumroll on her thighs. 

“Huh…” he read the location over and over again, still not completely believing what he was reading, “That’s odd.”

“What’s odd?” she wondered, peeking over his shoulder.

“That’s not right,” Seven explained, “It says it’s an IP in Japan, yet its account holder is some financial company in Germany. The guests who were hacked were a couple of producers, an heiress to a huge medication distributor, and the head of a research group. What would a financial company in Germany want with them? And you said nothing was taken?”

“Nothing,” MC reported, “And everything was squeaky clean by the time they got out.”

“Color me intrigued,” he cracked open his first can of Dr. Pepper, “Who are you, mystery hacker? And what do you want with whatever it was you found?”

“I don’t know,” she rocked back in her chair, still on the search for the hole in the firewalls, “But how can we prevent it from happening?”

“Strengthen security,” Seven figured, “Have the people that got hacked been notified?”

“Not yet,” MC told him, “I haven’t gotten around to it. I’ve been a little preoccupied.”

“That smells like a V job,” he spun around in his chair, “And while V’s on that, I’ll amp up the security and you do some research on the company in Germany.”

“Did it say specifically where in Japan the IP address was, Seven?”

“It did!” Seven stopped himself from spinning and (once he got his bearings again) checked the screen again, “An island off the southwestern coast called Midorijima. While you’re looking into that company in Germany, why don’t you check into Midorijima, too?”

“Got it, boss!” MC gave Seven a little salute, more than ready to get to work. 

The hole in the security system made Seven nervous. He could’ve sworn it was airtight. No one would be able to get in or out undetected. And if they did get in, there were countermeasures in place to make sure they didn’t get out, making it easier for them to get caught. Seven always thought the only person that could out hack him was his brother. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, it looks like he may have met his match.


	2. Sleeping In

After a long, eleven-hour battle with the internet and the firewalls and a phone call with the pizza man, Seven and MC had fixed the breach in the security and reinforced everything, so it was locked up nice and tight. They were both on the verge of passing out and if they didn’t have the stockpile of Dr. Pepper on their side, they probably would have crashed hours ago. 

“Done,” Seven let out a heavy sigh, “We’re finally done.”

“It’s about time,” MC felt his pain, “I thought that would’ve taken forever.”

“Uh-oh,” he slowly started to fall over, “Crashing…MC…Save me…Need…Rebooting…”

“You need something alright,” MC caught him after his head fell in her lap.

“Your thighs are abnormally comfortable,” Seven nestled in a little better, “Did you get new leggings, MC?”

“They’re relatively new,” she thought, trying to remember the last time she had gone shopping for herself that wasn’t groceries.

“They’re really soft,” he shut his eyes, “Can I just stay here for the night?”

“It’s two in the morning, Seven,” MC rested her hand on Seven’s cheek, “We could both stand to go to bed.”

“You think V would have a problem if we crashed on his couch?” Seven wondered.

“I don’t think so,” MC figured, “But my house is just down the road, so…I’d rather sleep there.”

“In that case,” he let out a little yawn, “Do you think you’d have a problem if I crashed on your couch?”

“Probably not,” she giggled, “What about Saeran? Does he know you’re not coming home?”

“I texted him earlier,” Seven told her, “He said he was doing ok and to take my time.”

“That’s nice of him,” MC pushed herself up to her feet, “Come on. You can stay in my guest room for the night.”

“Thank you, MC…”

“You’re welcome,” she took his hand, helping him up, “As long as you aren’t breathing heavily over me when I wake up tomorrow.”

“That was one time,” Seven whined, “And my allergies were bad that day.”

“Uh-huh…” MC knew better. She knew Seven was harmless, but that didn’t creep her out any less. Seven followed MC up the stairs, completely fried and ready to curl up in bed. When they got to the kitchen, MC noticed the TV still on in the living room, “Seven, go wait in the car.”

“Are Mommy and Daddy fighting?” Seven teased, “Or are they about to?”

“No,” she shook her head, “V and I are not married. We did not birth you. We’re not your mom and dad. Just go wait in the car. I’m going to make sure he doesn’t need anything else from me for the night.”

“Ok,” he left MC to finish her work for the night and made himself comfortable in the passenger seat of her car.

“V?” MC turned the corner and found V sleeping in his recliner. She had seen this sight on many occasions before. After everything that had gone down with Rika, V had a hard time sleeping in his own bed by himself. The thought of it made him queasy. Although, there was one way around it. MC gave him a little nudge, “V, you know you can’t sleep out here.”

“Who’s going to stop me?” V mumbled, still mostly asleep.

“I am,” MC pulled the lever and pushed the recliner back in, “Come on. Seven and I are done for the night. You need to go to bed.”

“Are you staying tonight, MC?”

“I will,” she nodded, “For a little while.”

“Ok,” V took her hand and pulled himself up, holding onto her arm, “You know, MC…You really do go above and beyond your call of duty.”

“I try,” MC smiled, a warm feeling radiating in her chest.

“And you succeed,” V followed her lead to his bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed, “I don’t think tonight’s going to be the night, though.”

“You say that every other night,” she brushed him off, crawling in next to him.

“In any other sort of professional environment,” he pointed out, “This would be wildly inappropriate.”

“But,” MC clarified, “Given the circumstances and the fact that I was off the clock officially around six, I’m merely here as a concerned friend that wants you to get some sleep.”

“And I can’t thank you enough for it,” V wrapped himself around her, shutting his eyes, “You really are something special, MC.”

“Thank you,” she nestled her head in his chest, “Good night, V.”

“Good night.”

The number of times MC and V had been through this song and dance were too many to count. She knew far too much about what had happened between V and Rika and the story broke her heart. From that day forward, she made a vow that nothing like that would ever happen to him again. He didn’t deserve it. But the night would always end the same. MC didn’t stick around for breakfast. Only until she was confident that V was heavily asleep. She’d slide a body pillow in her place and make sure he was properly covered up. Now that she had that taken care of, there was one more she needed to put to bed. Fortunately, given the head start V got in the living room, MC didn’t need to be there much longer than ten minutes.

Although, when she got out to her car, MC found Seven in the same state, balled up in her front seat, sleeping like a baby. She couldn’t help but smile at the precious sight in front of her. When they first met, MC thought Seven was too spastic for his own good. As time went on, that opinion never changed. Although, her perception of him did. This sight didn’t come often enough for him. Fortunately, V wasn’t the only one that had MC to help him fall asleep at night. She turned the heat on in her car and drove a couple blocks down to her house.

MC couldn’t help herself. When Seven slept, it was like seeing a unicorn. Or, in this case, she was the long suffering, exhausted single mother that just got her toddler to go down for the night. Seven’s insomnia wasn’t something she enjoyed handling, but if she had to, she would. For a good fifteen minutes, she sat outside her house with the car still running, trying to hype herself up to wake him. Despite every fiber of her being telling her not to, she put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Seven…” MC whispered, shaking him a little, “Seven, wake up.”

“Are we there yet?” Seven grumbled, his eyes still shut tight.

“We’ve been here for a little while now,” she admitted, “Come on. Why don’t we go inside for bed? You don’t need to sleep in my car.”

“But your car is so comfortable,” he whined, “Why can’t I stay here?”

“For the same reason V couldn’t sleep on his recliner,” MC got out and opened his door for him, “Because you’re going to wake up in a world of back pain from Hell and you don’t deserve that. Not when there is a perfectly good bed for you to sleep in inside.”

“Fine,” Seven shoved his fist under his glasses and into his eye, “Do we have to?”

“Yes, Seven,” she took his hand, helping him onto his feet, “I know. I’m tired, too.”

“Hey, MC,” he used her as a crutch, “Thanks for letting me stay here tonight.”

  
“You’re welcome.”

“If I went home right now,” Seven assumed, “I’d scare the hell out of Saeran and he’d think someone was breaking in the house and I don’t want to do that to him. I love my brother whether he wants to accept it or not.”

“I know you do, sweetheart,” MC had a special place in her heart for all her friends, but none more special than Seven and Saeran. Those boys needed all the love in the world and MC was bound and determined to give them just that. When they walked in the house, Seven had finally woken up enough to walk on his own.

“My God, MC,” he gasped at the state of her living room, “Would it have killed you to clean up before you had company?”

“I’ve been busy,” MC growled at the backhanded comment, “There was a breach in the RFA security system. Some people had information stolen, possibly. Saving V from himself every day is its own chore. My housekeeping is the least of my worries.”

“I could send Vanderwood over here once in a while,” Seven offered, “If it’s really getting to be that big of a burden on you.”

“Bold of you to assume Jumin hasn’t already offered me a maid,” she threw her keys on her kitchen island, “Come on. Bed with you.”

“Aww…” he pouted, “But I wanted us to stay up late together and get into silly shenanigans.”

“We did stay up late together,” MC pointed out, “It’s almost three o'clock in the morning, Seven. I’m tired as hell and want to go to bed. You should seriously consider doing the same.”

“Fine,” Seven draped his arms around her shoulders, “Will you come tuck me in?”

“Absolutely.” At this point, anything to get Seven to go to sleep would do. Although, MC would be lying if she said tucking Seven in wasn’t a tad self-indulgent. She loved when the opportunity to baby Seven arose. Especially Seven. Because no one sucked it up like Seven. Except for maybe Yoosung when he wasn’t feeling well, but he would shoo MC away if it were any other time. Whereas Seven would revel in it. 

MC brought Seven into her guest room and Seven proceeded to jump onto the bed, rolling around in the clean sheets a bit, “I like staying with you, MC.”

  
“And I like having you,” MC smiled, pulling the blankets back, “In.”

“Ok,” Seven peeled his hoody off and hung it on the closet door, kicking his shoes off under it. Just because he could be a spastic ball of energy didn’t mean he was some kind of animal. Then, he crawled into bed, nestling down into the soft blue sheets, content with the world, “MC…”

“Yes, Seven?” she took his glasses off his face and put them on the nightstand next to his charging phone. 

“Are you going to make breakfast tomorrow morning, too?” he wondered, laying his head on her thigh.

“I don’t know,” MC thought it over, “Maybe. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious,” Seven let out a heavy yawn, “Because if you didn’t make breakfast, I would.”

“You think I’m going to allow you to be unattended in my kitchen?” she scoffed, “There is no way in hell I’d be ok with that. You’d burn my house down.”

“But I could try!” he groaned, “Without the whole burning your house down part. It’d be fine!”

“No,” MC pulled the blankets over him, “But I appreciate the offer. Now, go to sleep.”

“Fine,” Seven rubbed his eyes, “Good night, MC.”

“Good night, Seven,” she kissed his forehead and turned the lights off on the way out. Fortunately, MC didn’t have very far to go. Only a few feet from her guest room was her bedroom. And her big king-sized bed all for her very own. It welcomed her like an old friend. MC kicked her shoes off and changed into some pajamas, crawling into her soft, pillowy abyss. Between the down in her comforter and more pillows than one person should ever be entitled to, it wouldn’t take very much for MC to fall asleep.

The next morning, MC woke up to the sound of her alarm chirping at the strike of noon. In her defense, she had a long night before that. She earned the nine hours of solid sleep. Although, when she rolled over for her phone on her nightstand, she had a couple missed text messages from V asking for her presence. A mother’s work is never done. Despite wanting to lay there a little longer, MC pushed herself out of bed and looked for something to wear before getting in the shower. 

On her way to the bathroom, MC peeked in on Seven, who still slept like a baby in her guest room. By the looks of things, he hadn’t moved since last night. She took that as a win. Seven could always stand a little extra sleep. And MC was in desperate need of a shower. The hot steam set her at complete ease. For a brief moment, the world outside ceased to exist and MC could enjoy her peaceful weightlessness. 

Ring, ring!

Or so she thought. MC finished quickly and grabbed a towel off the rack, answering her phone with the same enthusiasm, “Hello?”

“Hello, MC,” V spoke on the other end, “Did I catch you in the middle of something?” 

“Just a shower,” she brushed him off, “What’s up? Is everything ok?”

“For the most part,” he reported, “Although, I did get some angry phone calls this morning from those people who were hacked from our database.”

“I’m sorry,” MC winced, “Seven and I had a late night last night. I didn’t mean to sleep so late.”

“No,” V scolded her, “Don’t do that to yourself, MC. Your health is important and along with that is your sleep. I need you functioning at a hundred percent. Don’t worry about it. I could handle a few angry people.”

“Did you tell them we were taking care of it and apologize for any inconvenience?” she crossed her fingers.

“Of course I did,” he assured, “I know how to handle clients. Although, she was better at it than I was.”

“V,” MC stopped him, “You’re about to go down a Rika spiral. Don’t do that. You deserve better than that. Especially after all the progress you’ve made.”

“Alright,” V shook it off, “Thank you, MC.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she tightened up her towel a little more, “What do you need me for? Aside from the general day to day stuff.”

“I’d like to hear about what you and Seven did last night,” he insisted, “Could you be by my house within the hour?”

“I can try,” MC bit her lip, “But I need to take Seven home first.”

“That’s fine,” V allowed, “Did he stay with you last night?”

“He did,” she nodded, “We almost stayed up longer once we got home, but I wasn’t having it.”

“I can imagine not,” he giggled to himself. Nothing brought a lightness to MC’s heart quite like V showing any sense of joy, “I’ll see you shortly, MC.”

“Bye.” MC threw her phone on her bathroom counter and quickly got dressed. The tank top and jeans she got for herself were plenty to go to V’s. It’s not like she’d be meeting with any clients. Just a quick overview of what had happened with the security situation. Although, there was one part that may take a little time. And a lot of regret.

“Seven?” she whispered, sitting at the edge of the bed, “Seven, you have to wake up, sweetheart.”

“Why now?” Seven mumbled, rolling toward her voice, burying his face in her belly, “Why can’t I sleep some more?”

“Because,” MC ran her hand through the mess of curly red hair, attempting to make this a little less miserable for him, “V called me. He needs me to come in and I don’t want you in my house by yourself. That’s when bad things happen.”

“I know,” he cuddled a little closer, “You smell nice, MC.”

“I just got out of the shower,” she cradled him, “I should hope so.”

“Mmm…” Seven moaned, “Like sunshine. And honey. And pound cake.”

“I don’t know where you’re getting pound cake,” MC gave him a look, “My body soap is Meyer lemon and my lotion is honey and vanilla. You did get the honey part right.”

“It’s nice,” he hid a smile in her belly, taking it in some more.

“As nice as it is,” she nudged him a little, “You still need to get up and I need to get to V’s. I can’t do that until I bring you back to Saeran in one piece.”

“Alright,” Seven felt around on the nightstand for his glasses and his phone, “You know what sounds good right now?”

“A can of Dr. Pepper?” MC figured, knowing how Seven operated. 

“Hell yeah…” he swooned, “Do you have some? If you have some, MC, you’ll be my best friend.”

“I’m already your best friend,” she rolled her eyes, “But I do have some.”

“Yay!” Seven bounced out of bed and threw his shoes on, his hoody following shortly after, “Wait a second. You’re going to V’s?”

“Yeah,” MC grabbed her keys off the kitchen counter, “Why?”

“Just you?”

“Last I checked.”

“Was I not invited?” Seven wondered, “Because who better to explain the security system than the guy that coded it?”

“I know how it works, too,” MC pouted, “Besides, V asked for me. And I need to get to his house before he breaks something. Or hurts himself.”

“Fine,” Seven locked the door behind them, “I guess I’ll go back to Saeran.”

“If you could pass on a message for me,” she requested, “Tell him not to watch the new Cutthroat Kitchen without me or I’ll cry.”

“Will do!” he knew it was just busy work, but at least she cared. MC dropped Seven off at his house and headed straight toward V’s.

Knock, knock.

“Come in, MC,” V called from the other side of the door, “It’s unlocked.”

“What if I were someone else?” MC asked, walking into V’s living room where he sat with a cup of tea and the TV on.

“I knew it was you,” he assured, “I heard your car pull up, muted the TV, and heard your heels on the sidewalk.”

“Could’ve been Jaehee.”

“No,” V shook his head, “Your footsteps are lighter than hers. And she’s likely at the C&R building right now. If it were any business for Jumin, he would come himself.”

“You think of everything, don’t you, boss?” MC teased, giggling a bit.

“Some would call it overthinking,” he admitted, “But we’ll call it adapting. So, how did things go with you and Seven last night? Did you two play nicely?”

“We fixed the firewall,” she reported, “Well…I fixed the firewall. Seven traced the IP address.”

“And?” V wondered, “What’d you find?”

“It was the weirdest thing,” MC sat down and poured some more tea for V, along with a cup for herself, “When I traced the location, the signal came from an island off the coast of Japan. I’m assuming it’s part of Japan anyway. Yet, here’s where the plot thickens. The name on the IP was for a holdings company in Germany.”

“That is odd,” he thought, “What can we do?”

“Does Jumin do any business with a company in Germany?” MC asked, trying to cover her bases.

“That’s something you’d have to ask him,” V suggested, “I’m sure he’s back from lunch by now, if you could go see him for me.”

“Sure,” she nodded. MC rarely passed up an opportunity to visit Jumin. The two of them got along famously and she was best friends with Jaehee, “Any message you want me to pass along to Jumin?”

“Merely my best wishes,” V ordered, “If he doesn’t deal with the company directly, then see if he knows someone who does.”

“Got it,” MC finished her tea, “Is there anything else you need me for before I go?”

“Did you fill my tea again?”

“Of course,” she promised, “You were running low anyway.”

“Thank you, MC,” V smiled, wondering what he did in a past life to deserve an assistant like MC. Maybe after everything he’s been through, karma decided to kick something good back to him, “I’ll be fine. Send Jumin my regards. Jaehee, too.”

“Got it,” MC cleaned up her dishes and took care of the few left in the sink before she left for the C&R offices.


	3. Square One

The security guards at the door were well aware of who MC was. Not necessarily the organization she worked for, but the fact that she was close with their boss. Rumors had gone around that MC was seeing Jumin, but she didn’t come around often enough. Not to mention, Jaehee stopped those rumors before they could spread enough to the point where it hurt business. No matter, MC simply had an ID badge that got her anywhere in the building she wanted to be. From the employee lounge to Jumin’s father’s office, nothing was off limits to her. Although, it wasn’t often she found Jumin out of his office. Today would be no different.

“I’m sorry,” a receptionist stopped her. She must have been new, “Can I help you, ma’am?”

“I’m here to see Jumin,” MC didn’t bother addressing him formally, hoping that would be enough credit to get her through.

“Mr. Han isn’t seeing anyone right now,” the receptionist put her foot down, “You’re going to have to either make an appointment or come back some other time.”

“I’m sure he’d let me in,” MC assured, keeping a level head, showing the receptionist her badge.

She looked over MC’s ID and still wasn’t convinced, “Hold on. Let me call my supervisor.”

“MC?” a familiar voice spoke behind her. Finally, someone who’d listen.

“Hi, Jaehee,” MC smiled sweetly, ecstatic to see her face, “Is Jumin in his office?”

“He should be,” Jaehee assumed, “What are you doing, waiting out here?”

“Did Jumin get a new receptionist?” MC asked, “I don’t think we’ve met before.”

“Yes, he did,” Jaehee confirmed, “Did you need to see him?”

“Official business and everything,” MC confirmed, keeping her voice down, getting closer to Jaehee, “We had a security breach in the RFA firewalls. Some of our regular guests had information stolen.”

“Oh,” Jaehee gasped, “Not good. Is everything ok?”

“It is now,” MC explained, “Seven and I were working on it all last night and into this morning. It’s taken care of, but we traced them back to a holdings company in Germany and I need to know if Jumin knows anything about them.”

“Germany?” Jaehee gave her a look, but then, she remembered she had a job to do, “Go ahead into his office, MC. Janet?”

“Yes, Ms. Kang?” the receptionist sat up a little better.

“This is MC,” Jaehee introduced them, “If she ever comes in looking for Mr. Han, send her through. She never needs an appointment. She’s top priority. And Mr. Han would agree with me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” she bowed, “Forgive me.”

“Go ahead, MC,” Jaehee insisted, “Mr. Han brought someone special to work today, so tread lightly.”

MC couldn’t keep a smile off her face if she wanted to. She knew who that someone special would be. Given how bitter it made Jaehee, it could only be one certain someone. Quietly, MC opened Jumin’s office door, being considerate. Chances are, that someone is taking a nap and heaven forbid someone wakes Jumin Han’s little girl up. All hell would break loose.

“Jumin?” MC whispered, taking a quick look around. Sure enough, a lump of white fur laid comfortably on his keyboard, “You got a minute?”

“Hello, MC,” Jumin motioned her in, “It’s nice to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I got business to talk with you,” she told him, taking a seat in front of his desk, “Is this a bad time?”

“No,” he ran his fingers through Elizabeth III’s fur, making her purr, “It’s not like I can get much done right now. I could stand the company while Elizabeth III is sleeping. What can I help you with?”

“First of all,” MC began, “V sends his love.”

“He always does,” Jumin smiled a bit, “Are you just here to say hi as well?”

“Not exactly,” she admitted, “Long story short, we had a security breach in the RFA system and some of our regular guests had some information stolen. The name on the IP was traced back to a holdings company in Germany called Bruderschaft. Ever hear of them?”

“Not off hand,” he thought it over, “I could ask my father, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the name in any of our records. Are the rest of us safe, though?”

“We’re fine,” MC nodded, “We had an heiress, a couple producers, and a research lab that had their information tampered with.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Jumin winced, feeling his cat’s teeth sink into his thumb, “Excuse me, young lady. That was uncalled for. I’m sorry if I woke you, but that doesn’t give you the right to bite me. You’re much more well behaved than that.”

“Don’t you hate when you have to discipline the children?” she teased, knowing the kind of relationship Jumin had with his cat.

“Yes,” he picked Elizabeth III up from his keyboard, pulling her to his chest, “But she understands. She’ll apologize when it’s just the two of us, I’m sure.”

“Um…Jumin?” MC knew all about how close Jumin was with his cat, but sometimes, she questioned his mental state, “Does Elizabeth ever…talk back to you? Like…With people words?”

“Of course not,” Jumin assured, scratching her head, “She talks to me in other ways. When she wants to apologize, she’ll rub her face on mine and all will be forgiven.”

“If you say so,” MC dropped it, “Just keep an ear out for Bruderschaft please.”

“I can do that,” he promised, “Do you want me to call you if I hear anything or should I call V instead?”

“Call me,” she ordered, “I’d probably answer V’s phone anyway. Might as well call me directly. I need to go back and check the monitors to make sure our patch held.”

“Our patch?” Jumin wondered.

“Seven and I fixed the firewalls last night,” MC told him, “When I said we took care of it, we took care of it. Someone slipped through the cracks. We’re not letting that happen again.”

“That’s the spirit,” he praised, “Well then, MC, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to go back to work.”

“You mean spending quality time with Elizabeth III?” she called him out. And if there was one thing Jumin Han didn’t like, it was being called out.

“I can do both,” Jumin scoffed, “She’s never a hinderance on my work. I wouldn’t have brought her here today if I couldn’t handle it.”

“Fine,” MC let it go, “Could I pet her?”

“You’d have to ask her.”

“Alright,” she put her hand near Elizabeth III, waiting for the sign that they were ok. Elizabeth III rubbed her face in the palm of MC’s hand, leading MC to scratch the top of her head and all the way down to her tail, “I thought we were good, Elizabeth. Seven’s going to be so jealous when I tell him I got to spend time with you.”

“Don’t tell Seven anything about my cat,” Jumin demanded, “He doesn’t need to know.”

“Come on, Jumin,” MC sighed out, “You really can’t still be bitter about that.”

“He abuses her, MC. You’ve seen it!”

“I know,” she winced, “And Seven and I have had the talk about that.”

“Therefore,” Jumin insisted, “He doesn’t need updates on her life. He doesn’t need to know anything going on with her. He doesn’t need to be in a fifty-foot radius of her.”

“I get it,” MC kept her mouth shut, “No telling Seven about me seeing Elizabeth.”

“Thank you.”

MC waved behind her toward Jumin and left C&R emptyhanded. _Dammit. I was hoping Jumin would know something. Still…What the hell would a holdings company in Germany want with that information? Or was that holdings company just a front for bigger and better things? This isn’t adding up. And its signal came from Japan! _MC headed straight for V’s to reconvene.

“V?” MC didn’t even bother knocking this time. She had already been here once before. And V knew she’d be coming back. Although, his car was missing from the driveway. MC did a quick search of the house, making sure she had a blunt object in her hand. Just in case someone had broken in. It wouldn’t be the first time V had forgotten to lock the house before he left, but hopefully, he would’ve left something behind, letting MC know where he was going. _Empty house? I didn’t think I was gone that long. _

MC walked down into the basement and did a quick check of the monitors. As far as everything was concerned, things seemed squeaky clean. Then again, they were squeaky clean after the hacker had left, too. The only way MC knew someone had been there was that the hacker made a mistake in their cleaning up. After a quick check of the newly repaired firewall (and realizing nothing was out of place), she scrolled through her contacts on her phone, nearing the bottom of her list, and sent the call.

“Hello?”

“Where the hell are you?” MC worried, “I just got back from C&R and I can’t find you anywhere.”

“I’m at Seven’s,” V told her, “It’s alright, MC. I called my driver and I’ve been at Seven’s for the last hour.”

“Just couldn’t stand being home, could you?” she let out a heavy, exasperated sigh, “I swear to God, V. I should get you a bell.”

“How is that bell going to work when I’m not home?”

“That’s not what…” MC held her face in her hands, “I’m on my way. Do you still have to speak Arabic to Seven’s alarm system in order to get in?”

“I’ll tell him you’re coming,” V promised, “You don’t have to speak Arabic.”

“Good,” she relaxed, “I’ll be there shortly.”

“See you soon.”

Click.

MC shook her head. _I swear, that man is going to drive me to an early grave. Or to a heart attack. Either or. _She grabbed her sweater off the living room chair and headed back out. Fortunately, Seven only lived a couple blocks away from V, so it’s not like she had far to go. When she walked up to the gate, the lock had already been undone and the door was wide open. It’s not like she was there to kill them. It was fine.

“MC!” Speaking of her favorite lucky number, Seven jumped out from behind the front door, throwing his arms around her, “It’s been an age since I last saw you!”

“It’s been a few hours, Seven,” MC choked out, “You have the world’s worst perception of time.”

“Or the world’s best!” Seven squeaked, “The world may never know.”

“MC?” Saeran perked up from the living room couch.

“Hi, Saeran,” MC beamed, taking the seat next to him. Without even thinking about it, Saeran laid in her side and pulled his blanket over them, “As much as I’d love to stay right here, I have some business to talk over with V. Is that ok?”

“I guess,” he pouted a little, “But then, Cutthroat Kitchen after?”

“Absolutely,” she kissed his forehead and left him on the couch.

“Don’t take forever,” Saeran demanded, “I’ve been waiting to watch this episode for the last three days and it’s driving me nuts.”

“I won’t,” MC promised, walking into the kitchen.

“Hey, MC,” Seven teased, “I think Saeran likes you…”

“SHUT UP, SAEYOUNG!” Saeran snapped, “NOBODY ASKED YOU!”

“I see someone’s a little touchy,” Seven backed off, digging in the fridge, “You want something while I’m in here, MC?”

“I’m good,” she took a seat at the kitchen table next to V, “So, I have good news and bad news.”

“What’s the good news?” V wondered.

“I checked the firewall when I got back to your house,” MC reported, “And our patch job is holding nicely, Seven. Ten out of ten. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

“Aww, shucks,” Seven blushed a bit, “Thanks, MC.”

“SAEYOUNG HAS A DAKIMAKURA OF YOU, MC!” Saeran yelled from the living room.

“I DO NOT!” Seven’s blushing only got worse, “I had it in my cart one very late night and I opted against it because it’d be too weird. Even for me.”

“I’m not sure if I should be flattered or creeped out,” MC thought for a moment, “But we’ll call it a healthy combination of the two.”

“If that’s the good news, MC,” V asked, “What’s the bad news?”

“I went to talk to Jumin,” MC went on, “And he said he never heard of the company before. So, we’re back to square one.”

“Not necessarily,” V thought, “Seven, do you have any upcoming jobs you need to take care of?”

“I think my schedule’s pretty clear right now,” Seven jumped up from his seat, “Hold on. Let me go check the planner.”

“You have a planner?” MC gave him a look.

“How do you think I keep my jobs straight?” he pointed out, running into his office and coming back with a book in his hand. Seven slammed it down on his kitchen table and opened it up to the current date, “How big of a block of time do you need me for, V?”

“Could I get a week?” V asked, “Or is that pushing it?”

“I don’t know,” Seven thumbed through the pages of his planner, “I can give you exactly thirteen days starting next Thursday. How does that sound?”

“That sounds perfect,” V approved, “MC, what about you? Do you have anything planned for thirteen days from next Thursday?”

“Other than saving you from yourself,” MC checked the calendar in her phone, “No.”

“Anything MC does,” Seven offered, “I could send you Vanderwood. Or Saeran, if he was feeling ambitious.”

“He isn’t!” Saeran declined.

“I could send you Vanderwood,” Seven clarified.

“Thank you, Luciel,” V smiled, “That’s very kind of you. Because I’m going to need you and MC to go on a little trip for me to find our hacker.”

“Really?” MC perked up, “And where would we be going, boss?”

“Japan,” V explained, “That is where you said the signal came from, right? I’m sure that you could find something in Midorijima. We can take the holdings company off the table for now and pretend like that’s something they’re hiding behind.”

“All great hackers do it,” Seven admitted, “Why do you think I have so many different aliases?”

“So,” MC tried to wrap her head around her boss’s request, “We’re going to Midorijima?”

“If that’s alright.”

“Does that mean we’re going undercover?” Seven beamed, “Yay! MC, I finally get to give you an alias, too! Can we be a married couple, V?”

“Work out whatever backstory you want,” V allowed, “As long as you two can both agree on it. You’ll be on the first flight to Japan Thursday morning.”

“Got it, boss,” MC agreed, “But I don’t think we’re going to be posing as a married couple, Seven. You could be my younger brother.”

“Ouch…” Seven folded himself in half, sliding down from his chair, “It’s worse than the friend zone…It’s…the dreaded brother zone…It hurts…The light…I see a light…And Grandma…I’m coming, Grandma…”

“Seven, stop being dramatic,” MC rolled her eyes, “If it really means that much to you, we can be a damn married couple.”

“Yay!” Seven sprung back to life, “I’m so excited!”

“Yippee,” MC laid her head down on the table, “Do you understand what you’ve started, V?”

“My apologies, MC,” V winced, knowing how big of a bus he just threw MC under.

“You said this Thursday, right?” MC clarified.

“This Thursday, Mrs. Choi,” Seven wrapped his arms around her waist, “You and me. We could finally have that honeymoon we always wanted.”

“We’re not actually married, Seven,” MC giggled, “We’re not even dating.”

“Just let me live in the moment,” Seven hugged her tighter.

“Are we done here?” MC asked, “Because I have a date with my apparent brother-in-law and I promised him that I wouldn’t keep him waiting for very long.”

“I have my finger on the play button,” Saeran yelled out.

“Gentlemen,” MC got up from her spot at the table and grabbed a bag of Honey Buddha Chips out of Seven’s designated snack cabinet along with a juice box for Saeran, “Have I missed anything?”

“Not yet,” Saeran gladly took the juice box and made room for MC on the couch, only to reassume their earlier position.

“You’re not going to fall asleep on me,” she teased, “Are you, Saeran?”

“No,” Saeran shook his head, “I already had a nap today. I’m good. Besides, Cutthroat Kitchen.”

“Alright,” MC let it go, her attention going to the screen, “You think Alton Brown’s secretly kinky?”

“What do you mean?” Saeran wondered.

“Well,” she pointed out, “He’s using spreader bars on the contestants for challenges. He calls himself Daddy. Tell me that’s not someone who’s been around the kinky block a time or two before.”

“I don’t know,” he thought it over, “And now, I can’t help but think of Alton Brown in a saucy leather number with a whip in his hand. My god, MC. Make it stop.”

“We could watch something else,” she shrugged, “If you want.”

“No!” Saeran stood his ground, “I’m not turning the channel. I’ve been waiting for Cutthroat Kitchen all week and then, some. Do you know what kind of hell it is to open up the DVR menu and see it staring at me? I couldn’t watch it, MC. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. And it sucked ass! Great British Bake Off can only get me so far!”

“I know,” MC bit her lip, “And I’m sorry about that. It’s just…I’ve had other things to do, you know? Work keeps me so busy that sometimes, I can’t watch Cutthroat Kitchen with you as soon as it airs.”

“Is it true…?” he turned soft and quiet, “Are you really going away with Saeyoung to Japan?”

“Yeah,” she ran her fingers through the soft fluff on Saeran’s head, his red roots poking through the bleached spots, “It’ll only be a week, though. By the time we come back, we’ll have another episode of Cutthroat Kitchen to watch. And everything will be ok. Hopefully, this hacking mess will have blown over by then. Tell you what, when we come back, not only will I watch the new episode of Cutthroat Kitchen with you, Saeran, but we’ll watch Cupcake Wars, too. Cupcake Wars AND Real Housewives.”

“Alright,” Saeran caved, cuddling closer into MC’s hip, “I’m going to miss you while you’re gone.”

“I’ll miss you, too, sweetheart,” MC’s heart shattered into pieces. She knew that Saeran had a soft spot in his heart for her, but she didn’t think she’d have to leave him. To add insult to injury, she’d be leaving with his brother, too, “You know what?”

  
“What?”

“Do you think Alton Brown prefers to be called Daddy or Master?”

“Shut up, MC,” Saeran giggled a little, rolling his eyes, “He’s definitely the Daddy type.”

MC could breathe a little easier. _Thank God. There you are, Saeran. I couldn’t leave you like that. It’s bad enough I’m running off to Japan with Seven and pretending to be his wife. I couldn’t leave you sad and miserable. Don’t worry. I’ll be back before you know it. I promise. _


	4. Take Off

Bright and early that Thursday morning, MC woke up to a knock at her door. She knew who it’d be and she knew what awaited her, but that didn’t make it any easier to get out of bed. Unfortunately, she also had yet to pack despite the text she had gotten from V the night before reminding her to pack. However, MC had too much on her mind to even give packing a thought. The pounding on her front door served as an unfriendly reminder that she needed to pack for a week in Japan. 

MC pushed herself out of bed and opened her front door, still in her pajamas and half asleep, “Morning, Seven.”

“My god, MC,” Seven gasped, “You look like a trainwreck.”

“You know how to make a girl feel loved,” she shoved her fist in her eye, trying to rub the sleep out of it, “Can you give me a minute? I still need to pack.”

“Our flight leaves in an hour,” he scolded her, “And you still haven’t packed? That sounds like something I’d do! Or Yoosung…That sounds like a total Yoosung move, too.”

“I know, I know,” MC brushed him off, “But between this hacker and the sudden trip to Japan and making sure V’s going to be ok while we’re gone, I’m stretched kind of thin these days. I was so exhausted when I came home last night that I forgot I put a noodle cup in the microwave.”

“And?” Seven wondered, “What happened to the noodle cup?”

MC opened up her microwave where a styrofoam cup sat with the paper lid peeled off just enough to vent it, “Does that answer your question?”

“Jesus, MC,” he winced, “Are you ok?”

“Just a little tired,” she admitted, “But I think I’ll be ok. Eventually. I’ll sleep on the plane. And maybe in the hotel a little. We are staying somewhere nice.”

“I hope so,” Seven crossed his fingers, “I love when I get sent away on jobs and my employer puts me up in a nice hotel.”

“No,” MC clarified, “We _are _staying somewhere nice. I made our reservations the other day. V said he felt bad about this trip being so last minute, so he told me to get his credit card and put any expenses we have on it.”

“That’s nice of him,” he awed, “But we don’t need his credit card. We’ll use mine.”

“Show off,” she rolled her eyes, “Not all of us live in ivory towers, Seven.”

“You’re not living in squalor either, MC,” Seven took her by the hand, “Come on. You go take a shower. I’ll go pack for you.”

“I don’t know, Seven,” MC winced, “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea.”

“You act like I can’t coordinate an outfit for you,” he scoffed, “I’m insulted. Have you ever seen my cosplay pictures? You think I have someone do that for me? No, no, no. That’s all me. Go. Shower. Besides, you don’t have time to pack and get yourself ready.”

“Thank you,” she fell into his arms, “I guess I really did know what I was doing when I picked my fake husband.”

“I love you, too, MC,” Seven hugged her tight, “Go. I can take care of your packing.”

“Just…” MC begged, “No swapping out your boxers for any of my panties.”

“Aww…” he pouted, “That’s the best part. The silky ones are nice!”

“I know,” she shut her bathroom door, “And that’s why _I _get to wear them. Get your own. I will be counting before we leave.”

“You’re such a spoil sport, MC!” Seven whined, “You’re still the best fake wife ever!”

“I try!” MC turned on her shower and let the hot water pull her into a delightful trance. She couldn’t spend all day in there, but she did set a timer for fifteen minutes for that very reason. If she wouldn’t have done it, she would spend all day in there. And she had a flight to make.

As soon as she got out, MC had the sudden realization that she had forgotten to bring clothes with her into the bathroom. _Dammit…_Regardless, she reached out from behind her shower curtain and grabbed a towel off the rack. When she stepped out of her shower, a pile of clothes sat on the counter, folded neatly. Everything she needed from her underwear to her shoes. MC merely sat back and smiled. _Seven…_

However, she didn’t have much time to admire her fake husband’s handiwork. _I’ve been working next to Seven off and on for the last two years. How well has he been paying attention? _MC got dressed and looked at herself in the mirror on the back of her bathroom door. Nothing too extravagant. They were going to be on a plane and in the hotel for most of the day, so why bother wearing anything overly nice? Yet, Seven had gotten her a short black skirt and an off-white cable knit cardigan. As much as MC looked like a schoolgirl, she couldn’t help but appreciate Seven’s choices. _Maybe I don’t give him enough credit. _

“Hey, Seven?” MC finished packing her toiletry case.

“Mmmmyeeeesss?” Seven leaned up against the bathroom door, “Is everything ok, MC?”

“Yeah,” she walked out, making Seven lose his balance, “You didn’t do half bad. In all honesty, I thought you were going to kind of troll me here, but you didn’t. You get the ‘not as big of a dick as you could’ve been’ sticker for the day.”

“Yay!” he beamed, looking her over, “Damn! I did do good! You look really cute, MC.”

“Thank you,” MC curtseyed for him, just to indulge him a little, “Are my bags packed?”

“Right down to your last pair of socks,” Seven gave her a salute.

“Wait,” she stopped him, “You didn’t do something stupid like pack all of my clothes in the name of giving me options, did you?”

“No,” he shook his head, “I packed you exactly nine different outfits.”

“Nine?” MC gave him a look, “I thought we were only going to be gone for a week.”

“We are only going to be gone for a week,” Seven confirmed, “The extra two were in case we go somewhere fancy. We don’t know anything about who this hacker is except for where they’re located and that they’re tied to that German holdings company. What if they’re loaded? Like…Jumin levels of loaded? And we need to blend in at a fancy gala of some sort Mr. and Mrs. Smith style?”

“Good call,” she approved, “Way to think ahead, Seven.”

“Anything for my fake special lady,” he was loving this a little too much.

“Your fake wife needs to get on her real flight with her fake husband,” MC took Seven’s hand, “Are you sure you packed everything?”

“Clothes, underwear, accessories, a couple extra pairs of shoes…”

“You did well,” she kissed his cheek, “Thank you, Seven. You really are a lifesaver sometimes.”

“You’re welcome,” Seven got the door for her, “Shall we?”

“Off to Japan we go…”

Seven and MC got in the car and headed straight to the airport. Once they got on the plane, all she wanted to do was go back to sleep. MC felt like her head was about to split open and her caffeine intake had been nonexistent. How she was even functioning right now baffled her. However, her traveling companion wasn’t going to let her fall asleep. Not quite yet.

“Hey, MC,” Seven gave her a nudge, “Are you asleep yet?”

“No,” MC groaned into her travel pillow, “But I’m working on it. What do you want, Seven?”

“You know how we agreed,” he pointed out, “that when we go undercover, we’re a married couple?”

“Yeah,” she rolled over, “What about it?”

“Well…” Seven blushed a little, taking a capsule out of his pocket that looked like it had come out of a crank machine, “The only thing that would make it look more legit would be if you had an actual wedding ring…”

“Seven…” MC’s heart swelled, along with the tears in her eyes, “This…This is so cheesy in the greatest way that only you’d be able to pull off.”

“Hold on,” he stopped her, getting on his knee, making sure no one else was watching. Fortunately, they weren’t on a very packed flight. Not too many people were flying to Midorijima today, “If I’m going to do this, I might as well do it right.”

“Seven,” MC froze, “What the hell are you doing?”

“MC,” Seven held her hand and stared deep into her eyes, “Will you be my fake wife?”

“Oh my god…” she giggled, shaking her head at the idiot she knew and loved, “Yes, Seven. I would love to be your fake wife.”

“Yay!” Seven sat back in his seat and put the ring on her finger. Although, it was too small for her ring finger, so they had to settle on her pinky, “She said yes! Oh…Was it wrong of me to fake propose without asking your father’s permission or are we just going to throw caution to the wind?”

“Let’s throw caution to the wind!” MC jumped into his lap, “What the hell? We only live once, right? If my father doesn’t like that we’re getting fake married, then we’ll fake marry in secret. Although, we might have to spend the rest of our lives fake running.”

“As long as we’re fake together, baby,” he wrapped his arms around her, “That’s all that matters.”

“You do realize this sounds completely ridiculous, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“As long as you know,” MC moved back to her seat and put her seatbelt on, “Seven, I love you, but goddamn, you’re exhausting.”

“I know,” Seven laid his head on her shoulder, “But I’m adorable, so I can get away with it.”

“Yes, you can, honey,” she draped an arm around him, “Now that we’ve gone through the fake rigmarole of the proposal, can I go back to sleep?”

“Go ahead,” he allowed, letting out a little yawn, “I’m not going to stop you.”

“Wait,” MC thought, “Seven, when was the last time you got any sleep?”

“Define any sleep.”

“At least a solid five hours.”

“Uh…” Seven thought back, “What’s today?”

“Dammit, Seven,” MC held her face in her hands, “It’s Thursday.”

“I slept last night,” he promised, “And all night, too!”

“Don’t scare me like that,” she relaxed, “Did my fake husband take out a fake life insurance policy on me and now, he’s trying to kill me?”

“No, sweetheart,” Seven hugged her tight, “I would never ever do something like that to you! I want to keep you around forever and ever and ever and ever.”

“Then, if you want to keep her functioning,” MC knew her prospects of sleep weren’t happening, “Get her a Red Bull before she gets bitchy.”

“Ok, Mrs. Cranky,” he obliged, flagging down a flight attendant. Seven cracked it open for her and everything, “There. Is that better?”

MC had downed half the can before she spoke again, “Much. So much better. Get me another one. Sleep is for the weak.”

“Maybe I should take a life insurance policy out on you,” Seven jabbed, getting her another one, “You might want to slow down on those, MC. Your heart will give out.”

“I know my limits,” she finished the other half of her first one, “But I appreciate the concern.”

“At least nurse the second one,” he begged, “Please. I don’t want to have to take you to a hospital as soon as we land.”

“I will.”

For the rest of the flight, MC watched Seven play a game over his shoulder and drifted in and out. She had never been to Japan before. Although, she had hoped her first trip would’ve been a long-deserved vacation, not an undercover mission for V with Seven by her side pretending to be her husband. Oh, well. Things don’t always work out the way one wants them to. At least she still got her trip to Japan. Midorijima wasn’t a very big island. How far could their hacker have gone? Once the flight landed, Seven and MC headed straight to the hotel. MC grabbed their room key and the two of them got in the elevator.

“Hey, MC,” Seven slipped his hand in hers.

“What, Seven?”

“How big is our room?” he wondered, “I noticed we only got the one.”

“We did,” she nodded, “I’m pretty sure it’s a full suite.”

“Neat,” Seven rocked back on his heels. Then, a sudden thought popped into his head and a dirty smirk stretched across his face.

“What’s that look all about?” MC chuckled to herself.

“Is there only…” Seven let out an unnecessarily loud and overly exaggerated gasp, “ONE BED?”

“Seriously?” MC rolled her eyes, “This isn’t fan fiction, Seven.”

“Well…”

“Semantics,” she brushed him off, “But no. There isn’t only one bed.”

“Aww…” Seven whined, “Can’t even sleep with my fake wife.”

“Tell you what,” MC bargained, “When we get to the room and after we get everything set up, we can go get dinner. Then, afterward, when we go to bed _tonight, _and that’s non-negotiable, Seven…”

“Got it, chief.”

“I will do the same thing with you that I do with V,” MC offered, “I will tuck you in like I do when you stay with me, but instead of leaving you to your devices, I’ll stay in bed with you until you fall asleep.”

“You do that with V?” Seven wondered, grabbing his bags.

“Sometimes a few nights in a row,” she nodded, grabbing her own, “When things are getting bad and he can’t sleep at night, I will stay with him until he falls asleep.”

“How does it work?” he took the key out of her hand and shoved it in the door, “Do you just sit there and leer until he falls asleep or…?”

“No,” MC shook her head, “I’ll crawl into bed with him, he’ll be my big spoon, and once he’s good and sleeping, I’ll get up and put a body pillow in my place. Usually, he’ll be down for the night.”

“Have you ever stayed overnight?”

“A couple times.”

  
“Wow,” Seven awed, “And I thought I was the only one who had you to take care of that.”

“Sorry,” MC dragged her bag behind her, feeling around the wall for the light switch, “I’m cheating on you, Seven.”

“And only a few hours into our fake marriage,” he giggled, “You really are a good person, MC. You’re too pure and too precious for this world.”

“I just do what I can,” she popped open her luggage and got her laptop out, “And if that means staying with V for the night, so he can get some sleep, then so be it. I’d do the same thing for you. Hell, I’d do it for Saeran, too.”

“Did you mean what you said?” Seven asked, “About when we get back?”

“Oh, hell yeah,” MC chimed, “Are you kidding? Cupcake Wars, Cutthroat Kitchen, _and _Real Housewives? It’s going to be a slumber party that I can’t wait for.”

“And…” Seven smiled, “Does that mean I can come, too?”

“It’s your damn house, Seven,” MC rolled her eyes, “But that’s up to Saeran, not me.”

“I’ve never really watched any of them,” he thought, “Could you catch me up?”

  
“We won’t answer all your questions,” she stipulated, “But only ask them during commercials.”

“Deal!” Seven opened up his laptop, “Alrighty, Mr. and/or Mrs. and/or Ms. and/or person of other gender identification, let’s see where you’re hiding, shall we? You think they’ll be under the same IP?”

“I don’t see why not,” MC assumed, checking her own screen, “What if we find him tonight and have our stern words with him, case closed? Do we go home right away or do we stick around and sightsee?”

“I’ve never been to Midorijima,” he admitted, “Maybe it’s a neat place. I haven’t heard much about it except for this big amusement park they have here and a research lab. Is it, in any way, shape, or form affiliated with the research lab that had their information taken?”

“I don’t think so,” MC assumed, “But I could look.”

“That’s my girl,” Seven praised, his heart filling with pride, “I knew I fake married you for a reason. My fake wife is so smart.”

“You’re a dork, Seven,” MC sighed out, “I want a fake divorce.”

“But MC…” he whined, “What about our two fake kids? We’ve already moved them around so much. Do we really need to put them through any more? Can’t we make it work for them?”

“Our backstory has gone off the rails,” she shook her head, “Do you even know what the hell you’re talking about half the time?”

“I drift in and out.”

“Shocking,” MC’s screen lit up, “Hey, Seven, I got something.”

“And what’s that?” Seven rolled over to MC.

“I started tracking any outgoing signals,” she reported, “And one just popped up in an alleyway not too far from here.”

“You want to go look?” he asked.

“It is why we’re here.”

“Alright then!” Seven chimed, “MC, grab my coat.”

“You didn’t bring a coat, Seven.”

“Then, grab…” he took a rather heroic pose for whatever reason. It’s Seven. Does anyone ever need to question why he does whatever he does? “My hoody from the bed!”

“You’re closer to it,” MC brushed him off, grabbing her cardigan, “Come on. Before I lose its location.”

Without another thought, Seven and MC took off and headed toward the newly sprouted signal, unaware of what they may be getting themselves into. Fortunately, MC had learned to carry mace, but as far as ways of protecting themselves, that’s all they had. They could manage, though. Civilians weren’t allowed to carry firearms in Japan, so they’d be relatively safe. But then, they saw a blue glow in the alley where MC had found the signal.

“You think that’s our hacker?” Seven wondered, taking a peek around the corner, “No. Can’t be.”

“Why do you say that?” MC asked.

“Because,” he pointed out, “Hackers are usually very solitary creatures. They wouldn’t dare go out in the day. You should know that better than anyone. Besides, there’s a crowd.”

“What do you mean, there’s a crowd?” MC turned the corner and noticed the crowd of people around the blue glow. Along with two holograms posed to fight, “What the hell is this?”

“I don’t know,” Seven stared in confusion, “I’ve never seen something like this before.”

“Excuse me,” MC tapped a guy’s shoulder in front of her, “What’s going on here?”

“You’ve never heard of Rhyme?” the guy scoffed, “Watch and learn, sweetheart. It’s about to get good.”


	5. Wrong Signal

The bright blue light had turned into something neither MC or Seven had ever heard of. They didn’t know quite what to think as they watched the hologram creatures beating the ever living snot out of each other. Yet, they still watched in sheer awe at not only the graphical marvel of it, but the technological one. Nothing got Seven hyped up quite like new technology he’s never seen or heard of before. The way he reacted to it was the same way some other people would react to porn. Although, it wasn’t often things got by him like this.

“Hey, guy,” Seven tapped on MC’s informant’s shoulder, “What did you say this was called again?”

“What?” the guy asked, “Are you two not from around here?”

“Can’t say we are,” Seven shook his head.

“It’s a new game called Rhyme,” the guy filled them in, “It’s when two Allmates go at each other in head to head combat. Two people go into the arena and one comes out the victor. But once they’re in the field, everything on the outside doesn’t matter. They can’t even see what’s going on.”

“So,” Seven thought it over, “It’s like extreme virtual reality?”

“In a way, yeah,” the guy nodded, “It’s pretty popular around here. I thought it was starting to spread to other places outside Midorijima.”

“Hasn’t gotten to us quite yet,” MC told him, “Forgive our ignorance.”

“How do you get to play?” Seven asked.

“Do you have an Allmate?” the guy checked him over, “I’m going to guess you don’t.”

“No.”

“You need an Allmate in order to play,” the guy insisted, “I’m sure if you check the junk shops, you can find an older model, but it might need to be tweaked to be brought back to life. Or, if you’re looser with your money, you could go buy one of the newer models. I wish I could get one, but unfortunately…Cash is kind of tight these days.”

“Excuse us,” Seven pulled MC aside.

“Is everything ok?” MC worried.

“I’m really curious about this whole Rhyme thing,” he admitted, “Maybe it has a super niche following back home.”

“Hold on,” she had an idea, “I’m going to make a quick phone call. I’ll be right back.”

“Send him my love,” Seven knew exactly who MC was calling. The only other person who would know about this.

“I will,” MC got out of the alley and away from the crowd. After a quick scroll to the bottom of her contact list, she pressed the dial button.

“Hey, MC!” A sweet little voice chimed on the other end, “As nice as it is to hear from you, can I call you back? I’m kind of in the middle of a match right now and things are getting brutal.”

“Sure,” MC allowed, “I can wait. I understand. Go ahead, Yoosung. Good luck!”

“Thank you!”

Click.

“So?” Seven joined her, “What did Yoosung have to say?”

“He’s in a LOLOL match,” MC took a seat on the curb, “He said he’ll call me back.”

“That’s nice of him,” Seven sat with her, “Really wouldn’t mind getting my hands on one of those Allmate things. They sound cool.”

“I’m not surprised,” she rested her head on Seven’s shoulder. Just in time for her phone to ring, “Hi, Yoosung. How’d you do?”

“It was a close one, MC,” Yoosung reported, “But we won. Sorry for making you wait. So, what’s up? We haven’t talked in a while. I’m sure something’s going on.”

“I got a question for you,” MC asked, “What do you know about a game out of Japan called Rhyme?”

“A lot of e-leaguers are getting into it,” Yoosung told her, “There’s this one guy that’s absolutely incredible, but some say he cheats all over the place.”

“What’s his name?” she perked up, hoping for a lead.

“SlyBlue,” he said, “But that’s just his screen name. I don’t know what his real name is.”

“Is that one of those things that’s a quick Google search away?” MC crossed her fingers.

“I don’t know, MC,” Yoosung winced, “A lot of e-leaguers keep their online identities and their real identities separate. They’re like superheroes.”

“Dammit,” she sighed out, “Is there anything else you can tell me? Any other players high on that list?”

“There’s this one guy,” Yoosung got excited, “He’s a team leader. I’d kill to be on it.”

“What’s the team?”

“Ruff Rabbit,” Yoosung practically swooned, “But from what I understand, the leader’s really tough and chances are, I wouldn’t be let on the team anyway.”

  
“Oh, come on, Yoosung,” MC tried to cheer him up, “I’m sure you’d be welcomed in with open arms. You’re one of the best LOLOL players in the world. How much different could Rhyme be?”

“Thanks, MC,” he melted inside, “I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I’m too soft for Ruff Rabbit.”

“Do you know the leader’s name?” she wondered.

“No,” Yoosung shot her down, “Sorry. I wish there was more I could do to help.”

“You’ve helped plenty, sweetie,” MC smiled, “When Seven and I get back to town…”

“Where are you now?” Yoosung worried, “And it’s just you and Seven?”

“Yes,” she nodded, “We’re in Japan right now. We just witnessed a Rhyme match.”

“I’m so jealous!” he squealed, “Was it cool? I bet it was cool!”

“It was pretty cool,” MC giggled to herself, “But we need to get going, Yoosung. When we get back to town, I’ll tell you all about it.”

“Yay!”

“Seven sends his love,” MC passed the message along, knowing he’d give her all kinds of hell when they got back to the hotel if she didn’t, “As do I. We’ll be back in a week, ok?”

“Ok, MC,” Yoosung awed, “Love you, too.”

Click.

“I miss him,” Seven let out a heavy sigh, “Why couldn’t we have brought him along on this trip?”

“Because,” MC reminded him, “This is a work trip, not a family vacation. Next time we come here, we’ll bring the whole damn RFA if we have to.”

“That sounds like so much fun!” Seven approved, “We should do that. It would give us all a much needed break.”

“That would be a chaotic mess,” she winced, “And you know it.”

“You’re no fun,” he pouted, “You look like you’re about to pass out on me, MC. Are you feeling ok?”

“I’m fine,” MC brushed it off, “Just a little tired. The flight kicked my ass and I’m still reeling from this morning.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Seven hugged her tight, “Come on. Let’s get back to the hotel room. We can look for our hacker tomorrow morning. And if we have time, we can go get us a couple Allmates!”

“Seven,” MC scolded him, “I know you want to play Rhyme at least once, but we can’t. We’re not here to have fun. We’re here to find our hacker, give him a what for, and go home.”

“Please?” he batted his eyelashes at her, playing up his innocence, “It’s something new, MC…”

“No, Seven,” she put her foot down, slowly, but surely staggering to her feet. However, MC couldn’t stand to see Seven sad. She’s seen it far too much for one lifetime, “Although…If we can find a junk shop on the way back to our hotel, then we can see if they have any Allmates.”

“I’d even accept parts for one at this point!” Seven’s face lit up, “I’m sure if I tried hard enough, I could manage to Frankenstein something together.”

“You’re exhausting.”

“You’re not the first one to tell me that,” he took her hand, “And likely not the last. But you’re the one that fake married me.”

“We’re here now, Seven,” MC kept her voice down, “As far as anyone is concerned, we’re real married now.”

“Oh, yeah!” Seven kissed her cheek, “Come on, Mrs. Choi. I believe you were promised dinner from your loving husband.”

“I thought I was the one that suggested dinner,” MC gave him a look, trying to remember their conversation in the hotel room. However, not much was coming up. 

“Food is food at this point,” he squeaked, “I’m starving.”

“And you guys yell at me about skipping meals,” she jabbed, knowing how strict the other members of the RFA are when it came to MC taking care of herself.

“Neither one of us have skipped a meal today,” Seven pointed out, “Don’t give me that crap. I know better. I’m the one with the big boy big brain today.”

“If you’re that adamant about it,” MC rolled her eyes, “Then, let’s go. I don’t care where we go. I want something in my stomach, but not sushi. Sushi after a flight is a bad idea.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” he confirmed, “How does hot pot sound?”

“Delightful,” she swooned, “I want nothing more than some kind of fried meat and a bowl of rice and a big nap to go with it.”

“That does sound nice,” Seven took her arm, “But I don’t think any restaurants in town are going to let you sleep right there.”

“Probably not,” MC used Seven as a crutch. Despite them not being an actual married couple, that didn’t mean they couldn’t play a pretty damn convincing one.

But then, out of the corner of Seven’s eye, he caught a sign that just said junk shop on it. Immediately, he tugged at MC’s shirt, “Can we? Can we? Can we? Please? Please? Please? Please? I’m just going to keep asking and begging until you say yes.”

“Alright!” MC caved. Not that Seven gave her much of an option, “We can go into the junk shop. And look! We’re not buying any Allmate parts today. We’re just looking.”

“Wow,” Seven teased, “You even nag me like you were my actual wife.”

“Shut up,” she giggled, while he dragged her into the junk shop.

The sign didn’t lie when it said it was a junk shop. Spare parts for Allmates covered the shelves along with old game consoles, cellphones, and various other technological odds and ends. Seven couldn’t help but drool over the technology graveyard he had stumbled upon. Things seemed awfully quite in there, though. Was the store even open? If it wasn’t, why would the door be unlocked?

“Hello?” Seven called out into the abyss.

“I’ll be right with you!” a kind, gentle voice came from the back room. And from the doorway, a small, black dog came out.

“Hi, puppy,” MC got down to its level, making sure Seven kept away from it. She knew how he could be around Elizabeth III and didn’t wish the same fate on the little dog in front of her. MC stretched her hand out, letting the dog sniff her. Without hesitation, the dog moved in closer. _Huh. He seems friendly. _MC looked around for a collar while giving him a good pet, “What’s your name, boy?”

“It’s Ren,” a deep, manly voice came out of the little dog, nearly giving MC a heart attack.

“Holy shit, you can talk?!” MC gasped.

“He doesn’t get that reaction often,” a man walked out from the back room, “Are you not from around here?”

“No,” MC shook her head, “I’m on vacation with my husband.”

“Husband?” the dog looked up at her, his head tilted, “You’re married?”

“To that one over there,” MC pointed toward her beloved fake husband while he skimmed the shelves for everything and anything.

“If you don’t mind me saying this,” the man leaned over to her, “He seems kind of like a gearhead.”

“He is,” MC confirmed, a hint of a smile on her face, “But he’s my gearhead. He’s looking for some Allmate parts.”

“What kind of Allmate does he have?” the man asked.

“None yet,” MC told him, “But I think he’s considering putting one together himself out of scrap parts.”

“I wouldn’t advise that,” the man winced, “I’ve seen people attempt it and usually, they end up doing something wrong in the programming and it gets messy.”

“Alright,” MC picked the dog…Ren up in her arms, “But you are adorable, Mr. Doggie.”

“You…” Ren suddenly turned shy, “You think I’m…cute?”

“I know you’re cute,” she cuddled him, “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help myself. You can call me MC.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, MC,” Ren reveled in her loving embrace.

“I’m sorry,” MC put Ren down, “You’re not even my dog. I probably should’ve asked first.”

“It’s alright,” the man allowed, “It’s not often I see Ren warm up to someone so quickly. My name is Aoba. If you have any questions, you can ask me.”

“I don’t know much about advanced robotics,” MC confessed, “But I know someone who does. Luciel!”

“Yes, dear?” Seven played it off perfectly. No one ever called Seven by his real name unless they were that close. Even though MC knew it, she could never get used to it, so she always called him Seven. 

“This is Aoba,” MC introduced them, holding up the ball of fluff in her arms, “And this is Ren.”

“Hi, doggie!” Seven’s eyes lit up, petting Ren’s head gently, “Is this your dog, Aoba?”

“He’s my Allmate,” Aoba corrected him, “And I think he’s taken a shine to your wife.”

“The feeling’s mutual, Ren,” MC couldn’t stop herself from loving the dog in her arms. His cuteness overtook her like the tide.

“That’s nice to hear, MC,” Ren cuddled into her.

“YOU HAVE A TALKING DOG?!” Seven screeched, “THAT’S SO AWESOME!”

“He’s an Allmate,” Aoba chuckled to himself, “They all talk. You’ve really never seen an Allmate before?”

“I’D REMEMBER MEETING A TALKING DOG!” Seven couldn’t contain himself. He ripped Ren from MC’s arms, tossing him in the air, “YOU ARE THE COOLEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN!”

“Hey!” Aoba yelled, “Put him down!”

“I think I’m going to be sick!” Ren complained, “Aoba, make him stop!”

“Put the dog down,” Aoba’s voice echoed in Seven’s head, making his head hurt a little.

“Ok,” Seven put Ren back on the floor, “Sorry about that, doggie.”

“All is forgiven,” Ren let it go, turning his attention toward his master, “Aoba…Are you feeling alright?”

“Yeah,” Aoba shook him off, “Could you get my medicine for me?”

“Sure,” Ren trotted over to the blue bag on the floor behind the counter, retrieving an orange bottle for Aoba.

“Thanks,” Aoba tossed a couple pills from the bottle down his throat without even thinking about it, “I should be alright now.”

“Now,” Seven took one last look around, “You don’t have any Allmates here?”

“Not yet,” Aoba shook his head, “We might get some in the next couple weeks, if you’re sticking around that long.”

“We’ll be gone in a week,” MC told him, “That’s too bad.”

“Do you do international shipping?” Seven hoped.

“This is a junk shop,” Aoba pointed out, “You’re joking, right?”

“Totally,” Seven retracted everything, regretting all that just came out of his mouth, and hid his face in shame.

“There is an Allmate store in the East District,” Aoba directed them, “If you’re looking for a new Allmate.”

“And do all of them come in such cute packaging?” MC gave Ren a little scratch under his chin.

“You can get them in any animal,” he explained, “I just happened to have a Pomeranian model.”

“And he’s a good boy, too,” MC gushed over him, “Aren’t you, Ren? Who’s a good boy?”

“Me,” Ren confirmed, “It’s me. I’m the good boy.”

“That’s right.”

“Well,” Seven took MC’s hand, “We should be going. It was nice meeting you, Aoba!”

“You, too!”

The bell dinged behind them and Seven dragged MC back out, his breathing having picked up. Of course, this was enough for MC to worry, “Seven…? You ok?”

“Fine,” Seven held himself up, but barely, “Just a little anxious. Had to get out of there. How are you?”

“More concerned about you than me,” MC picked him back up, “Hey…It’s alright, Seven. We’re safe. The world isn’t coming to an end. Everything’s ok. Your blood sugar’s probably going silly. Come on. Let’s go get some dinner and then, we can go to bed. How does that sound?”

“Wonderful,” Seven nodded, “Hey, MC?”

“Yeah, honey?” MC threw an arm around him, giving him the reassurance that he had a crutch.

“Did you bring your laptop with?” he wondered, “I want to be able to keep an eye on where our hacker friend might be.”

“I left it in the room,” MC bit her lip, “I didn’t think we’d need it. I thought we’d be able to get our hacker where that game of Rhyme was being played.”

“Maybe that was the signal we got,” Seven sighed out, “And we’re back to square one again…”

“Oh, cheer up, Seven,” she cuddled into him, “Look on the bright side. We’re here. I know we can’t exactly go up to people and ask them if they recently hacked the RFA, but I’m sure we could tweak the code on our searching software to filter out Rhyme signals.”

“This whole island feels like nothing but signals,” he groaned, “This is going to take forever.”

MC had seen this a few times before while she and Seven were working together. When he starts spiraling, that was usually the sign he needed to go to bed. Seven had been working himself to the bone lately in search of this hacker. God only knew when the real last time he got proper sleep was. But if it wasn’t sleep related, it was worse. It was much worse.

“Seven…” MC approached him gently, “Are you ok?”

“Super,” Seven’s sarcasm wasn’t lost on her, “I’ve managed to trace this hacker here, but who knows? Maybe he knew we’d come and he’s already taken off to Germany to hide. That’s what I’d do. And then, this whole trip would be for absolutely nothing. And we wouldn’t have even gotten to square one.”

“Hey,” MC settled him, “No, no. Don’t go down that rabbit hole, Alice. It’s not the Wonderland you remember. The Queen of Hearts took over and things are messy. She’ll only want you to lose your head. We can’t let her win. Come on. Let’s go get some dinner and regroup, ok?”

“Alright,” Seven’s body grew heavier on MC’s, but she could handle it. He’s exhausted and she could tell. _At least I managed to get him out of that before it could get any worse. We wouldn’t want him blacking out. _Another block down, they found a hot pot restaurant open with almost no one inside. A perfect place for the two of them.

Once they got to their table, MC sat Seven down across from her, letting him go limp in his seat. He didn’t say much after they got there, but MC threw some pieces of heavily seasoned beef into their wok and got to cooking. Yet, Seven stayed quiet. Normally, no one could get him to shut up. He’d go off on this tangent or that tangent that would turn into a completely different tangent by the end. However, he kept his mouth shut. The silence broke MC’s heart, but she knew what this was. _He’s tired. Once we’re done eating, we can go to bed. _And she knew she wouldn’t be sleeping alone tonight. Not for her benefit, but for his. 

When they got back to the hotel, MC brought Seven down to their bed. She took off his shoes and his hoody, making sure to plug his phone in for him. As soon as he laid down, she took off his glasses and put them on the nightstand. He still wouldn’t say a word. _Seven just needs to shut down for a little while. That’s all it is. _But then, something had dawned on her. Even though it was a little sensitive of a subject matter with him, she had to ask.

“Seven?” MC wondered, “Did you forget your medication today?”

Seven merely shrugged. _That’s exactly what it is, isn’t it? It’s too late for him to take it now. _She simply kissed his forehead and crawled in next to him. _Rest well, Seven. Rest well._


	6. A Bad Start

The next morning, MC woke up to her t-shirt absolutely drenched and Seven’s fists tightly clenching the fabric. He shook like a leaf on the wind with his face buried in her ribs. She knew this was coming. The crash could sometimes be worse than the initial spark. But it was nothing MC hadn’t handled before. She debated whether or not to wake him. He needed the sleep, sure, but not like this. This wasn’t restful sleep.

“Seven…” she whispered, “Seven, it’s ok.”

“No…” his voice broke, “No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is,” MC assured, holding him tight, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You’re safe. You need to wake up for me, ok? Just open your eyes.”

“I can’t…”

“Yes, you can,” she promised, “It’s ok. I’ll be right here when you wake up.”

Slowly, but surely, Seven opened up his eyes. His bright red, bloodshot eyes, “You weren’t lying to me…”

“Of course, I wasn’t,” MC cuddled him, “I have no reason to ever lie to you, Seven. Not ones that’ll hurt you. And I promise that I never will intentionally.”

“Hey, MC…?”

“Yeah, sweetheart?” MC ran her fingers down his spine, doing all she could to comfort him.

“I probably shouldn’t skip my meds, should I?”

“No,” she shook her head, “That’d be a good idea.”

“I should take them now, shouldn’t I?”

“That’d be a fantastic idea,” MC nodded, wiping his eyes, “Are you going to be ok?”

“Eventually, I’m sure,” Seven hoped, not holding his breath.

“I know we just got here,” MC pointed out, “But do you think we could do with a day off?”

“A day off?” he gasped, “Are you serious? We got too much to do, MC. We can’t…”

“Yes, we can,” she hushed him, “Look, Seven, you’re in no shape for us to be looking for this hacker. Besides, neither one of us have ever been to Midorijima before. I’m sure we could find something to occupy our time. Like…I don’t know…Maybe looking for a certain piece of technology that blew your mind yesterday?”

“You think so?” Seven started to come around, a smile gracing his face. 

MC sat back with a little bit of pride in her heart. _Tell me I don’t know how to work my boys, _“I think you could use an Allmate. And who knows? Maybe you could do some tweaking to its programming to where it can differentiate between Rhyme signals and our hacker.”

“MC, YOU’RE A GENIUS!” Seven let out a happy squeal. Only making MC smile that much more. _There you are, Seven. Don’t scare me like that. _Seven jumped out of bed, “Because you need an Allmate to play Rhyme, right?”

“Right.”

“And if we can pinpoint that signal via Allmate,” he grabbed his hoody and threw his glasses on, “Then, we can use that to our advantage, find our hacker, and be home for dinner! MC, have I told you lately how much I love the way your brain works sometimes?”

“Only on the semi-regular,” MC giggled, her heart warming from the inside.

“Come on!” Seven demanded, running toward the door already, “We’re burning daylight!”

“Seven…”

“What?”

“Shower first,” MC ordered, “Then, we can go.”

“Ok, Mom,” Seven dug in his bag, got a handful of clean clothes and locked himself in the bathroom.

Meanwhile, MC made sure to put Seven’s medication bottle on the nightstand next to his phone along with a sticky note that said in big, bold letters ‘DO NOT FORGET’ on the lid. MC was feeling kind of gross, too. She wasn’t sure what manner of liquid was on her shirt. It could’ve been tears. It could’ve been sweat. It could’ve been a mixture of the two. Whatever it was, she couldn’t have that on her skin anymore. 

“Hurry up, Seven,” MC pounded on the bathroom door, “You’re not the only one that needs the bathroom.”

“I know, I know,” Seven whined, “I’m working on it!”

“Work on it fas…”

“What was that, MC?” Seven turned the blow dryer on, “I couldn’t hear you! Did you say something?”

Without any hesitation (or remorse), MC opened the bathroom door and found Seven standing in the middle of the room in nothing but a towel. He let out a high-pitched yelp, “You’re a little shit, Seven.”

“And this is intrusive!” Seven covered himself, “Do you mind?”

“You asked for it,” MC defended.

“Where?!”

“Just when I don’t think you have any modesty, Seven,” MC teased, closing the door, “You go and surprise me.”

“Forgive me for being the prude in our fake marriage!” he squeaked.

_It’s good to know you’re still in there, Seven. _MC took a seat on the edge of the bed and waited for Seven to get done in the bathroom. While she waited, she checked her phone. No texts. No calls. But it wouldn’t hurt for her to call home and check in. Just to make sure everyone was doing ok. And there was only one place where she could knock them all out at once. Although, given their recent hacking situation, the RFA chatroom may not be the safest until this all blows over. So, she had to go with the next best thing.

“Hello, MC,” V greeted her on the other end, “Is everything alright?”

“Everything’s fine,” MC confirmed, keeping her voice down. She moved further away from the bathroom window and stepped out onto their balcony, “Seven had an episode last night, V. It wasn’t pretty.”

“They rarely are,” V empathized, “Is he ok?”

“I think so,” she hoped, “He forgot his meds yesterday and…He started spiraling big time. But right now, he seems pretty…On kilter, for lack of a better word. As on kilter as Seven gets.”

“You want me to talk to him?” he offered.

“No,” MC shot him down, “I appreciate it, but I got him handled. If I couldn’t handle Seven and Saeran at this point, what am I even doing here?”

“You truly are a saint in your own right, MC,” V awed. 

“I’m no saint,” she giggled a little, “I just try my best and attract the hopeless.”

“I know what you mean,” he let out a little sigh.

“Hey,” MC stopped him, “What about you? How has everything been with you?”

  
“Day by day, right?” V figured, “I’ve been doing relatively well, actually. Vanderwood comes by in the morning and makes sure I’m still in one piece. It’s a good thing I have such a good memory of where everything is.”

“That’s good,” she took a seat on one of the outdoor chairs.

“What about you?” he wondered, “Have you found the hacker yet?”

“We’re working on it,” MC assured, “Midorijima is nothing but Wi-Fi signals all over the place, so pinpointing our hacker is a bigger pain in the ass than we thought it’d be. Fortunately, we may have a way of weeding out one of the biggest ones just short of an EMP.”

“I’m pretty sure an EMP would be illegal,” V chuckled to himself, “But what’s that?”

“They have something new here,” she went on, “Some new kind of technology. They call it an Allmate. I’m not a hundred percent sure on their full spectrum of capabilities, but between Seven and me, I think we can figure it out. We’re going to go get one as soon as Seven lets me in the bathroom. I’m covered in his sweat and tears and I’m in desperate need of a shower.”

“Keep a close eye on him today, MC,” he begged, “Make sure he doesn’t overwork himself. That’s usually when the bad things happen. And if I could share something with you that stays between us?”

“Go ahead.”

“When I brought the job to Seven the other day,” V confessed, “I asked him how he was doing in that respect. He is getting bad again, but he seems to do better whenever you’re around.”

“Like I said,” MC smiled a bit, “I do what I can. I don’t understand what power I hold over both Seven and Saeran, but they both seem to do a little better when I’m around. Maybe we could do a polyamorous relationship with the three of us.”

“Saeran would never go for that,” V pointed out, “He’s too territorial over you.”

“That’s true,” MC bit her lip, “But maybe there would be a way we could make it work…If we kept Seven out of the picture.”

“I wasn’t going to say it.”

“Always the classy one, V,” she giggled.

“MC! Bathroom’s open!”

“I have to go, boss,” MC shrugged, “Duty calls.”

“Please, MC,” V begged, “Keep a very close eye on Seven.”

“I will.”

Click.

“What was that all about?” Seven stepped out onto the balcony.

“Calling V,” MC told him, “Thought I’d check in while I was waiting on you.”

“I didn’t take that long!” he pouted, “Go. And hurry up. Because I want to see what other kinds of Allmates we can get our hands on that aren’t just little ones like Ren. You think we could get a dinosaur?!”

“I doubt we could get a dinosaur,” MC shook her head, holding her face in her hands, “You took your meds today, yes?”

“I did get your note…”

“But did you take them?” she asked.

“Yes,” Seven nodded, “I did. The empty water cup is still on the table.”

“Good,” MC kissed his cheek, “Now, if it’s all the same to you, I’d like a shower now. Someone sweats horribly in his sleep and likes to use me as a teddy bear.”

“The best teddy bear I ever had,” Seven wrapped his arms around MC’s waist, hugging her tight, “Except for Sir Stuffington. Sir Stuffington knew things that most people will never know.”

“Like what?”

“You’d have to be Sir Stuffington to find out,” Seven teased, “Are you Sir Stuffington?”

“Can’t say that I am.”

“Alright then,” he let her go, “Then, you’ll never know about certain things Sir Stuffington knows…”

“You’re so weird, Seven,” MC shook her head, exasperated with him. Although, she couldn’t be happier to see him come back.

“You’re the one that fake married me, MC!” Seven called after her, “You could’ve said no! We could’ve had a different backstory!”

“But you weren’t budging on this one!” MC reminded him, getting some clothes out of her bag, surprised by its organization. _I guess Seven did know what he was doing. I didn’t even know I had half this stuff in my closet. _She grabbed a blue pile with gold accessories and black ballet flats and slipped into the bathroom. 

After a quick shower and a few added minutes in the bathroom to make herself publicly presentable, MC took a look in the mirror, fully admiring what Seven had packed for her. Normally, MC wasn’t in dresses. She was more of an oversized sweater and leggings type. Although, the blue dress and the gold necklace was a nice change of pace. Seven knew what he was doing and she was wrong to underestimate him. But for the fun of it, she put on her white cardigan from yesterday to tie it all together. However, she wasn’t feeling it and left it in her bag. 

As soon as she walked out of the bathroom, Seven let out a loud wolf whistle, “Look at you…”

“Look at me,” MC blushed, “Why are we looking at me?”

“Because I did a damn fine job,” Seven took her hand and gave her a spin, “You’re so cute, MC. Why do you have to be so cute?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “I don’t have to be. I can look like a total bridge troll when I want to.”

“No,” Seven hugged her tight, “You can’t. It’s impossible. Even when you look like a bridge troll, you’re an adorable bridge troll that only speaks in riddles and rhymes and offers me a lollipop after I cross your bridge.”

“What color is the sky in your world, Seven?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Seven slipped his shoes on and grabbed his hoody, “Can we go look at Allmates now?”

“Yes,” MC giggled, “We can go look at Allmates. I swear, Seven. You’re like a little kid on Christmas.”

“I feel like a little kid on Christmas!” he chirped, “After seeing Ren yesterday, I can’t help but wonder what other kinds of Allmates there are! Aoba said they came in any animal, right? I WANT A SHARK!”

“You’re not getting a shark,” MC rolled her eyes, “We don’t have a tank for him in the room and it’d be hard for our sharky friend. You wouldn’t want to do that, would you?”

“Of course not!” Seven frowned, “I don’t want to make our sharky friend uncomforta…WE COULD GET A BEAR!”

“We are not getting a bear,” MC held her face in her hands, “You know, this isn’t what my parents wanted for me. They wanted me to go to med school and become a doctor, but I’m too squeamish. By all means, MC. Get really good with computers. Become best friends with a hacker. Keep other hackers out. Brilliant idea.”

“It was a brilliant idea,” Seven took her hand, “Because if you didn’t hook up with the RFA, we never would’ve been best friends in the first place.”

“Thank you, Saeran,” MC joked darkly, “Not to mention, if I never would’ve hooked up with the RFA, not only would we have never become best friends, but you probably never would’ve reconnected with Saeran in the first place. God only knows where you two would’ve ended up. And that’s just you two. Yoosung would still hate V with a burning passion and blame him for everything. Zen’s ego would be completely and one hundred percent out of control. I don’t even want to think about Jumin and Jaehee’s relationship.”

“Are they a thing?” Seven wondered, “I could kind of see that being a thing.”

“No,” MC stopped him before he could roll off on that tangent, “Jaehee would never allow it. Work and play stay separate. And she wouldn’t want to deal with the repercussions of dating her boss. It’d get too messy. Not to mention, she despises Elizabeth III, so right there would’ve been the deal breaker with Jumin.”

“Maybe we should set him up a dating profile,” Seven thought, “Just for the funsies. Just to see what he’d get.”

“No!” MC hit their elevator button, “You’re not setting up a dating profile for Jumin.”

“You’re no fun…” Seven whined, “That sounds like a good way to kill an afternoon. We could pretend to be Jumin!”

“We. Are not. Pretending. To be Jumin.”

“Fine, fine,” Seven pulled his phone out of his pocket, hiding in the corner.

“Seven…” MC wondered, “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” he tapped away on his screen.

“Seven,” she pulled his phone down, noticing a dating app downloading on Seven’s phone. MC yanked his phone out of his hands and shoved it in her pocket.

“Hey!” Seven squeaked, “What the hell, MC?”

“You’ll get it back when the app is deleted,” MC put her foot down, “I told you you’re not setting up a dating profile for Jumin.”

“I know everything to put in the boxes!” he groaned, “Jumin Han. Age 28. Hobbies include overworking my assistant, keeping Seven away from my cat, and might possibly be a furry.”

“That’s exactly why you’re not making a dating profile for Jumin.” MC ran her head into the wall. _This is who I work with. This is who I call my best friend. This is who I call my fake husband, _“Can we focus on the task at hand please?”

“Can I have my phone back?”

“No,” MC wouldn’t allow it, “Not until you can be responsible with it.”

“Wow, MC,” Seven awed, “You sound less and less like a nagging wife and more and more like an actual mom.”

“Sometimes, I need to mom voice you, Seven,” she let out a heavy, exasperated sigh of an overworked and underappreciated mother, “It’s the only way I get you to listen.”

“If I promise not to make a dating profile for Jumin,” he bargained, “Can I get my phone back?”

“When I feel comfortable enough that I know you won’t do it,” MC counteroffered, “Then, you can have your phone back.”

“Yay!”

And so, Seven and MC took off from the hotel and headed to a giant electronics store in downtown Midorijima. Never in her life did MC see Seven so in his element outside of work. All of his manic energy seemed so calm and so focused. Although, Seven may have been experiencing the best case of sensory overload he had ever had. MC gave him a little nudge, just to get him out of his headspace.

“Seven?” she asked, “You doing ok, buddy?”

“Yeah,” he let out a heavy, ecstatic sigh, “I think I’ll be ok.”

“I think you might need a towel,” MC teased, “And possibly a cigarette and a glass of wine.”

“You’re not too far from the truth,” Seven swooned. Wall to wall bleeps and bloops made Seven a very happy boy, “Mother of God, where do we start?”

“We’re just here for an Allmate,” MC reminded him, “Nothing more.”

“I don’t know,” Seven looked around, taking everything in, “Maybe we could pick up a few other things while we’re here.”

“No,” MC demanded, “This is just like when I take you to the grocery store with me and all I want is a gallon of milk, yet somehow, we come out with six bags full of snacks, three cases of Dr. Pepper, and no milk. Remember, Seven. We have a job to do while we’re here.”

“And you said we were taking today off,” he retaliated, “Look at all of this. It’s so pretty, MC…”

“I understand that,” she empathized, “But still. We came here with one objective in mind. And that’s to get an Allmate. We get an Allmate and you can spend the rest of the day holed up in our hotel room, getting to know its processors and its programming and find a way to get it to sync up to our hacker’s signal and our hacker’s signal alone. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Seven brushed her off. But he was so overwhelmed in the best of ways. Despite only having heard of them a mere twelve hours ago, Seven wanted nothing more in his life. He briefly gave consideration to getting one just to tear it apart and find out how it ticked, but then, he thought of Ren. How loving he was toward MC. How soft and squishy he was. How scared he got when Seven tossed him up in the air like he did with Elizabeth III. At the end of the day, despite them being machines, they were still living creatures. And taking one apart for the sake of taking it apart would be wrong. They were a companion. A friend. 

Seven and MC took the escalator to the upper floor of the store and continued their search for the Allmate section. When they disembarked from said escalator, they definitely found it. The entire upper floor was nothing but Allmates in all shapes and size. And Seven could hardly contain himself.

“MC,” he twitched, “I want one of everything.”

“No,” MC kept him in check, “I know you do and I know it’s tempting, but you cannot have one of every Allmate. That would make for a hella crowded hotel room and we still have to get home. Do you want to take every Allmate in here home?”

“Bad question,” Seven grinned, “Because, yes. I do, in fact, want to take every single Allmate home. OH MY GOD, MC!”

“What?” MC jumped, “What is it?”

“THEY HAVE LITTLE CLOTHES, TOO!” Seven’s entire body started shaking, but finally for a good reason, “MY GOD, IT’S LIKE BUILD A BEAR, BUT WITH ROBOTS! MC, I’M SO HAPPY!”

“I’m happy you’re happy, Seven,” MC giggled, feeling that warmth in her heart again. And she couldn’t keep the smile off her face if she wanted to, “Let’s go pick one out, shall we?”

“HELL YEAH!”


	7. Mai-Ling

“Which one?” Seven had a chance to calm down a little and focus again. Although, he was happy as a clam to be in the Allmate section. Aoba wasn’t lying when he said they had just about any animal they could think of. However, they were restricted somewhat. Their hotel room was only so big and they’d still have to get it on the plane back home. Yet, their options were endless.

“Something small,” MC stipulated, “No bigger than a large dog.”

“So,” Seven assumed, “Lion is off the table?”

“Yes,” MC confirmed, “No lions. And no snakes either. Snakes weird me out.”

“I’m not too big on snakes either,” he admitted, “They make my skin crawl.”

“Mine, too,” she shuddered. MC had a big thing about snakes. She made the mistake of going to a zoo with Seven and Yoosung once. When she was making faces at different lizards that she quickly made friends with, she wasn’t expecting a giant ball python in the next tank and nearly threw up out of sheer terror. 

“I know,” Seven remembered that incident all too well. Since he was the one that held her hair back while she found a trash can outside the reptile house to throw up in, “I wasn’t even giving snakes a thought. Snakes, spiders, and now, lions are off the table.”

“Deal,” MC nodded, continuing to follow Seven up and down the aisles of different Allmates, “And no birds either. We don’t need something flying around our hotel room.”

“Aww…” Seven whined, “No birds either? But I was going to teach it fun words and how to swear.”

“No, Seven,” MC put her foot down, “No birds. Besides, all the Allmates can talk anyway. If you wanted to teach that to a real bird, then I’d be impressed.”

“Then…” Seven’s eyes suddenly lit up at the sight of the creature in front of him, “MC…”

“What?”

“I think I found the one,” Seven opened up one of the cases and picked up a big, fluffy, white cat, “Look at this one…”

“Seven,” MC let out a heavy sigh, “You do realize that’s basically Elizabeth III, right?”

“I know,” Seven hugged the kitty close to him, “Isn’t she pretty? I love her so much. Can we get this one?”

“We’re not getting an exact replica of Elizabeth III.”

“Could you imagine RFA parties?” he thought, squishing his new friend’s little pink paws, “Jumin would be so confused. I wonder if you’d trigger Zen’s allergies, too. What do you say, kitty kitty? Do you want to come home with me?”

“No, Seven,” MC demanded, “We’re not getting a cat. Remember, we still need to use this Allmate to find our signal. I know you’re looking for a lovable friend for the family, but we have a job to do.”

“I know,” Seven put his new fluffy friend back, “Sorry, kitty. MC says I can’t have you because she’s a big meanie.”

“Don’t say that,” MC gave him a little swat to the shoulder, “What? I’m mean because I’m not letting you get a cat that’s creepily the same as Jumin’s, but with mechanical parts?”

“Exactly,” Seven took another couple steps down the way and found another Allmate that melted him inside. He reached into the case and pulled out what looked like a panda cub, “MC…Look at this one.”

“Ok,” MC smiled, “That one is pretty cute.”

“See?” he beamed, “Look at this one’s little paws. You’re almost better than the kitty! Do you talk, too, panda?”

“Not until its registered,” one of the techs walked over to us, “Once you register your Allmate, it gets its personality, voice, gender identification, name, things of the like. Once it’s registered, then it’ll come to life.”

“MC?” Seven looked over to his fake wife for confirmation, “Is this the one?”

“I think this may be the one,” MC allowed.

“Wait,” Seven asked, “Do you have a red panda?”

“We don’t,” the tech shook his head, “Just the standard panda.”

“Will it grow?” Seven cradled the panda in his arms as if it were a baby, “Or is it going to stay this size forever?”

“It’s still a machine,” the tech explained, “So, no. It stays this size.”

“You’re not much bigger than Ren, panda friend,” Seven hugged it tight, “I think we’ll take this one.”

“Wonderful,” the tech applauded, “The panda models aren’t exactly popular, but they are relatively new, so all in due time, I guess. Is this going to be it?”

“Hold on,” Seven stopped him from taking his new little panda friend out of his arms, “We’re going to look around at some of the accessories for a minute. Is that ok?”

“Take your time.”

As the tech walked away, Seven’s smile only grew bigger, “MC, I’m in love.”

“I can tell,” MC awed, giving their new panda a scratch on its belly, “It’s so cute!”

“What do we get for it?” Seven stared up at the wall of different Allmate clothes, “Is it going to be a boy or a girl?”

“Looks like we’ll have to register to find out,” she shrugged.

“How are we going to know if our panda is going to be daddy’s little linebacker or not?” Seven wondered, “And what is a linebacker?”

“I think it’s a football thing,” MC assumed, “Let’s not get stuff like that quite yet.”

“Are we going to have to pick good preschools, too?” he thought it over, “Because I’m not sure if we’re ready for that. It feels like only yesterday we adopted. They grow up so fast!”

“It’s just an Allmate, Seven,” she giggled, shaking her head at the idiot she fake married, “You’re reading way too into this.”

“I know,” Seven cuddled their new panda cub, “I’m thinking a sweater. Can we get our panda a sweater?”

“How about a little hoody?” MC suggested, “A bright yellow one.”

“I like that idea!” Seven approved, taking one down from the wall, “This is ridiculous, but I kind of love it.”

“Me, too,” she admitted, “Imagine how we’ll be once it’s registered and we get attached.”

“We’re adopting an Allmate together, MC.”

“I know!”

“This is a good day,” Seven couldn’t be happier. He’s spent the day with one of his favorite people among one of his favorite things. And to top it all off, there’s a panda involved! Seven and MC went up to the counter and started registering their new Allmate friend. They both sat back and watched the monitor in front of them in great anticipation. Seven put his hand in MC’s, gripping tightly. 

“Well then,” the tech spun his monitor to them, “Meet your new Allmate.”

Seven and MC checked the screen:

Name: Mai-Ling.

Species: Panda

Gender: Female.

Temperament: Gentle, lazy.

“MC…” Seven’s eyes began to swell with happy tears, “I love her.”

“I love her, too,” MC melted.

“Wow,” the tech scoffed, unplugging Mai-Ling from the computer, “I’ve never seen two people get so worked up over an Allmate.”

“Sorry,” MC shook it off.

“Here’s your new bundle of joy,” the tech gave her back to Seven.

“Hello…?” a soft, sweet voice came out of the bundle of joy.

“Hi there,” Seven turned into an absolute puddle, “You must be Mai-Ling.”

“Uh-huh,” she let out a little yawn, “How can I help you, Master?”

“Oh, no, no, no, sweetheart,” Seven stopped her, “You don’t have to call me Master. You can call me Seven.”

“Seven,” Mai-Ling giggled, “What a silly name for a human. You’re a number.”

“That’s right,” Seven swallowed the lump in his throat, “MC, I love her.”

“MC?” Mai-Ling cocked her head, only making Seven worse, “Who’s MC?”

“That’s me,” MC introduced herself, “Hello, Mai-Ling.”

“Are you my mama and papa then?” Mai-Ling asked.

“Not quite that,” MC shook her head.

“Then,” Mai-Ling wondered, “Could I enter sleep mode?”

“Of course, you can,” Seven allowed, holding her tight, “How are you? Are you ok?”

“My diagnostics report has come back positive,” Mai-Ling told him. 

“That means yes,” Seven explained, “When you have a positive diagnostic readout, just say yes.”

“Ok,” Mai-Ling curled into Seven’s chest, “Engaging sleep mode for thirty minutes.”

Her eyes closed and Seven’s sprung a leak, “MC, I love her so much.”

“I couldn’t blame you if I wanted to,” MC gave Mai-Ling’s head a little pet, “She’s cute as hell. Although, the lazy temperament has me worried.”

“I’m sure she’ll work when we ask her to,” he figured, “How about we go get lunch and play around a little more?”

“Are you still going to play with her programming, Seven?” MC wondered.

“No,” Seven shook his head, “I couldn’t do that. Not knowing what I know now. She’s too sweet and too lovable and I can’t wait to take her home.”

“I can’t either,” MC took Mai-Ling out of Seven’s arms, “Uncle Saeran’s going to love you, too, Mai-Ling.”

“Oh my God,” he squeaked, “I haven’t even given Saeran a thought! He’s going to eat her up. I know it!”

“And he’ll have someone else to watch TV with that isn’t me!” she assumed, “Not that I don’t love watching Cutthroat Kitchen with Saeran, but sometimes, I’m busy doing other things for V. That’s what you can do after this is all done, sweetie.”

“Not to mention,” Seven pointed out, “How many people can say they have a talking panda cub that hangs out on their couch with their brother and watches TV with him? I will!”

“So,” MC stepped outside the store with Seven following close behind and Mai-Ling passed out over her shoulder, “Lunch time. What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know,” he skipped ahead, “I’m kind of drawing a blank. You know what sounds really good, but I have no clue where you’re going to find a good one in Japan?”

“What’s that, Seven?”

“A burrito the size of a newborn baby,” Seven swooned, “That sounds fantastic right now.”

“You know, Seven,” MC pointed out, “There is a kitchenette in our hotel room. We could just go to a supermarket, get everything we need for burritos, and I can make them.”

“Really, MC?” Seven awed, “You’d do that for me?”

“Absolutely,” she assured, “Because that does sound so damn good. Now, you got me thinking Mexican food. How dare you?”

“Mmmm…” Seven hummed, “Mexican food. Do you think we’ll be able to bring Mai-Ling into the store with us?”

“I don’t see why not,” MC shrugged, “If all else fails, we can put her in a baby seat.”

“WE COULD GET A STROLLER!”

“No.”

“Fine,” Seven pouted. But in the same breath, his excitement was reinvigorated, “WE COULD GET A CAR SEAT!”

“No.”

“Fine…” he let it go, “What about those baby backpack thingies for people that need to hold their babies, but they also need to use their hands?”

“Actually…” MC thought it over, “That wouldn’t be a half bad idea. Maybe we can get one of them.”

“Yay!” Seven was about to come out of his skin. It had been quite some time since he got genuinely excited over something like he did with Mai-Ling. There was no doubt in his mind. She was definitely going to be Daddy’s little linebacker. Just without the linebacker part. Although, he could get used to Mai-Ling being Daddy’s little girl.

Seven and MC walked a few blocks to the supermarket past their hotel and got shopping. MC adored Seven to death, but if there was one thing she hated doing with him, it was grocery shopping. He’d always deviate from the list and end up filling their cart with various types of snack foods. Although, maybe since they had a clear objective in mind, it wouldn’t be so much of a dumpster fire.

MC pulled out a cart from the cart return and gently put Mai-Ling in the baby seat, turning Seven into goo, “We should get her a blankie, too, MC.”

“After lunch,” MC decided, “Then, we can spoil our new baby panda all you want.”

“Look at her, though,” he pointed out, “She’s so sweet and so cute. It’s hard to believe she’s going to help us track down our hacker.”

“I know,” she reached into the dairy case and got some shredded pepper jack cheese, “But she’s going to do her best. I just know it.”

“You think they have Allmate accessories here?” Seven thought.

“I doubt it,” MC continued on into the meat case, grabbing a pound of ground beef, “Seven, do you want rice in your burrito?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded, “Should I get instant rice or regular rice?”

“Instant,” she picked, “I know we’re in Japan, but if we have pots and pans in our room, we’re doing good. Just in case we don’t have a rice cooker.”

“Good call.”

“Why don’t you go get some?” MC sent him off, “And while you’re getting the rice, if you could get the tortillas, too, that’d be great.”

“Got it!” Seven gave her a little salute and kissed Mai-Ling’s forehead, “You two be careful, ok? We don’t know where our hacker is or even what they look like. I wouldn’t want anything happening to my girls.”

“We’ll be fine, Seven,” she promised, “It’s just rice and tortillas. And black beans, if you want them.”

“Do you?”

“Oh, God, no,” MC gagged, “I think they’re gross. But if you want them, you’re more than welcome to them.”

“Hell no,” Seven shook his head, “You’re not the only one repulsed by black beans. I’ll get the rice and the tortillas. You get the rest.”

“Bell peppers?”

“Yes.”

“Jalapenos?”

“Absolutely.”

“Hot sauce?”

“The hotter, the better.”

“Bless you, Seven,” MC applauded him, “And may you have a cast iron stomach after this.”

“Thank you,” he took a little bow, “So, rice, tortillas, and antacids.”

“You’re a genius,” she sent him off and continued the shopping, throwing various things into the cart. Red peppers, green peppers, yellow peppers, jalapeno peppers, and anything else she deemed necessary. _Taco sauce. Taco sauce sounds like a good idea. Since we’re going so spicy with everything else, we should probably go with a mild sauce. _

“Mmm…” a little noise came from the baby seat, “Disengaging sleep mode.”

“Well,” MC went back to the cart, “Good morning, Mai-Ling. Did you sleep well?”

“MC,” Mai-Ling rubbed her eyes, “Where is Seven?”

“He went to get some things for lunch,” MC took her little paw, “We’re both kind of hungry and I thought I’d make us something.”

“What are you making?” Mai-Ling wondered.

“Burritos,” MC reached over for a few spices, “Chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika…I feel like I’m forgetting something…”

“Cumin and seasoning salt,” Mai-Ling suggested, curling into her seat, “You could also use cilantro.”

“Seven’s not nuts about cilantro,” MC told her, “But thank you. You were practically born an hour ago, Mai-Ling. How do you know so much about Mexican cooking?”

“I have an infinite database in my head,” she pointed out, “There isn’t much I don’t know.”

“You’re so smart!” MC scooped Mai-Ling out of her baby seat and hugged her tight, “I love you!”

“I’m sure we’ll be close, too,” Mai-Ling nuzzled her face in MC’s neck, “What else do we need?”

“I don’t know,” MC checked the cart, “Sour cream, probably guacamole for Seven…And maybe cilantro. Seven hates it, but I think it’s good. Any suggestions?”

“None,” Mai-Ling clung to MC’s shoulder, “Please don’t put me back down.”

“I won’t,” MC promised, holding her close. _Maybe Seven was right about the baby backpack. _

“MC,” Mai-Ling wondered, “Why hasn’t Seven come back yet?”

“Who knows?” MC shrugged, “He probably got sidetracked and found something shiny. Should we go find him?”

“Please.”

After finishing their shopping, MC and Mai-Ling scanned the aisles for Seven. Sure enough, they found him in the snack aisle with everything in his arms with the exception of what MC sent him for in the first place. To no one’s surprise. But then, Seven caught his girls out of the corner of his eye.

“MC!” he unloaded his arms into the cart, “And Mai-Ling! Did you have a nice nap, sweetheart?”

“I did,” Mai-Ling held her arms out to him, “Thank you, Seven.”

“Come here,” Seven took her off MC’s shoulder.

“Seven,” MC glared at him, “What is all this?”

“I thought we could use some snacks,” Seven justified it, “You know…For when we’re working tonight.”

“Do we really need all of these?” MC wondered, “I think we could get away with the one box of cosmic brownies instead of six of them. And maybe a couple bags of Doritos. But not the whole damn snack aisle. Did you even get the tortillas and the rice?”

“I knew I was forgetting something!” Seven grumbled.

MC merely shook her head. _He’s exhausting. He’s lucky he’s so cute, too, or I would’ve faked divorced him months ago. _She grabbed the rice and the tortillas on their way to the checkout and headed back to the hotel. Once they got back, Seven was immediately banned from the kitchenette. MC has seen that boy attempt to cook. It was a disaster. On that day, everyone learned quickly why Seven wasn’t allowed in a twenty mile radius of a blender. It still didn’t beat the time MC had to get Yoosung’s hand out of the toaster, but the mess left mental scars.

However, she wasn’t entirely alone while she cooked lunch. Mai-Ling was a very curious little panda. She sat on the counter and watched as MC got started, offering her help wherever she could. Occasionally stirring the pans for MC, adding in seasonings, making suggestions for other additives. As far as MC was concerned, Mai-Ling was the best little sous chef she could’ve asked for. 

“Are you sure there’s nothing I can do, MC?” Seven asked, leaning over the island.

“No,” MC stuck a spoon out to him, prepared to hit him with it if need be, “You are not allowed. You touch anything in here and we’ll have a problem.”

“Yes, ma’am…”

“Is everything satisfactory, MC?” Mai-Ling asked, “Did I do good?”

“Of course you did,” MC picked her up from the counter, cuddling her tight, “Thank you, Mai-Ling. Everything’s wonderful.”

“I want to be useful to you,” she confessed, “And to Seven.”

“And you are, sweetheart,” Seven took Mai-Ling off MC’s hands and let MC go back to cooking, his heart shattering to pieces, “You are absolutely useful to us. But you’re so much more than just useful.”

“Isn’t being useful my purpose?” Mai-Ling assumed, “My reason for existing?”

“No, no, no,” he assured, holding back tears, “I don’t know what your reason for existing is, Mai-Ling, but that’s for you to find out. We don’t need to get existential right now.”

“What else can I do for you?” Mai-Ling balled up in Seven’s arms, internally turning him to goo.

“Do you think you could track a signal for me?” Seven asked, shaking off the minor existentialism, “A very specific signal?”

“Of course!” she promised, nuzzling her face in his shoulder, “But after I leave sleep mode…”

“Ok,” he awed. _I love her…_

“Uh, Seven…?” MC chimed in, plating their lunch, “I don’t mean to be the buzzkill here, but we are kind of on a little bit of a time crunch.”

“But look at her, MC,” Seven whined, “She’s tired. Go ahead, Mai-Ling. You take your nap. I’ll upload the signal to your databases while you’re in sleep mode, ok?”

“Ok,” Mai-Ling shut her eyes.

“But while you’re in sleep mode,” he wondered, “Could you start trying to follow the signal?”

“No,” she apologized, “That is outside my realm of capabilities. Please forgive me, Seven. But sleep mode is sleep mode.”

“That’s ok, baby,” Seven kissed the top of her head, “You get some sleep. But only thirty minutes. MC is right. We still have work to do.”

“Thank you,” Mai-Ling curled into the inside of his hoody, “Engaging sleep mode.”

“Good night, Mai-Ling,” he took his hoody off and wrapped her in it, “MC, I love her.”

“I see that,” MC could tease him all she wanted, but Seven and Mai-Ling definitely shared an unbreakable bond. 

“Can we have another one?”

“One is plenty for now,” she stopped him before he could go overboard in Allmates.

“God, I hope the electronics shop ships internationally,” Seven whispered, “Because I can’t let Mai-Ling be the only one.”

“So,” MC wondered, putting Seven’s burrito in front of him, “What do we do now?”

“We wait…”


	8. Infiltrating the Compound

With their bellies full, Seven and MC decided on sleep mode, too. Despite being only fake married, they still shared their bed. Seven always slept better when his head rested on MC’s stomach and MC appreciated the warmth and the extra weight on her body. They could say they were only a fake couple all they wanted. If one were to ask anyone in the RFA, no one would be surprised if their fake relationship came from a real place.

“Seven!” But their new bundle of joy declared sleep mode time over, “I got it!”

“Got what, Mai-Ling?” Seven groaned into MC’s bellybutton.

“I’m no longer in sleep mode,” she climbed onto the bed.

“I see that,” he rubbed his eyes, “MC, the baby’s up.”

“When I’m hella jetlagged,” MC let out a little yawn, “She’s your baby.”

“I’m sorry for waking you, MC,” Mai-Ling cuddled into Seven, “But this is important! When I came out of sleep mode, I found a signal. And I’m tracing the signal now.”

“Good girl, Mai-Ling,” he hugged her tight, “I’m proud of you. Can you tell me where it’s coming from?”

“Not yet,” Mai-Ling shook her head, “But it’s coming from another Allmate, though.”

“You guys really are an impressive piece of technology, aren’t you?” Seven gave her a scratch on the head.

“I got a location now!” she sang, “MC, I know where the signal Seven gave me is coming from!”

“That’s great, Mai-Ling,” MC woke up a little more, “Where is it?”

“It’s in the east district,” Mai-Ling reported, “I could take you right to it, if you’d like me to.”

“I’d love nothing more than that,” Seven hopped out of bed, “Come on, MC. We’re losing daylight.”

“Ok,” MC dragged herself out of bed, still a little sleepy, and followed Seven and Mai-Ling outside. They were finally going to meet the mastermind who managed to hack one of the most encrypted security systems in the world. And their reason for it.

When Seven and MC caught up to Mai-Ling, they stopped outside a fancy apartment building. It reminded MC of Jumin’s building. This had to be the classy section of Midorijima, where the people were loaded, but not loaded enough to buy property. Mai-Ling stared up in sheer amazement with a little bit of pride in her circuits, “It’s coming from up there. Did I do good, Seven?”

“You did very good, sweetheart,” Seven kissed the top of her head.

“Would you like to send a Rhyme request?” Mai-Ling asked.

“You can do that?” MC gave her a look.

“That is one of my functions,” Mai-Ling nodded, “And I can send it directly to the person’s Allmate.”

“What’s this guy’s level?” Seven asked, bound and determined for his first game of Rhyme.

“It’s much higher than mine.”

“That’s too bad,” he awed, “I was hoping I’d get to see some action today, but that would mean putting you through a Rhyme match we’re horribly underprepared for. I couldn’t do that to you, Mai-Ling.”

“So, what do we do, boss?” MC rested her head on Seven’s shoulder.

“How do I build your level up, Mai-Ling?” Seven picked her back up, cradling her like a baby.

“Fighting lower leveled Allmates would be the most efficient method,” she figured, “Why do you ask?”

“Could you find the nearest one?”

“Two blocks over, one block up.”

“Alright!” Seven had a newly ignited fire in his belly, “Let’s go!”

“Wait a second,” MC stopped them, “I just had an idea.”

“What is it, MC?” Seven looked like he was ready to take off like a bullet out of a gun for this match. However, he needed a reminder that work came first. Their trip to Midorijima was not for pleasure.

“If this hacker hit us,” MC thought, “And we managed to pinpoint his location from the signal, what’s stopping us from hacking him back?”

“MC, you’re a genius!” Seven threw his arms around her, sandwiching Mai-Ling between them, “I knew I fake married you for a reason. And it really wouldn’t take all that much. Mai-Ling, could you show me your maintenance hatch, please?”

“Sure!” Mai-Ling opened up her control panel that made Seven want to cry tears of joy, “It’s all digital, so any maintenance you have to do on me should be easy.”

“Sweetheart, I’m a professional hacker,” Seven pulled a USB cable out of his pocket, hooking one end to Mai-Ling’s belly and the other to his phone, “MC could do your maintenance.”

“Hey!” MC whined, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You didn’t even think to trace the hacker’s IP, MC,” he teased.

“I fixed the hole in the wall, didn’t I?” she defended, “But we don’t need to be arguing now. Can we or can’t we hack this guy back?”

“Already working on it,” Seven watched between the monitor on Mai-Ling and his phone screen, making sure everything was in order, “How much longer do you think this is going to take?”

“Five minutes, tops,” Mai-Ling estimated, “Not very. I’ll try my best!”

“That’s my girl,” he praised, waiting for the tracer to get into their hacker’s systems, “How are you feeling, baby?”

“Um…” Suddenly, her systems started slowing down, “I don’t feel so good, Seven…”

“What’s the matter?” Seven worried, “What seems to be the problem?”

“I feel sick,” Mai-Ling shuddered, “I want to go to sleep mode…I think I might have caught something…I might be infec…Err…Error…Error…Entering…Sleep…Mode…”

“Mai-Ling…” Seven held her limp body in his arms, “Mai-Ling, wake up…Disengage sleep mode…Please…”

“Seven…” MC started to sweat, “What’s going on?”

“She’s not waking up, MC,” Seven’s voice broke, gently shaking the little panda in his arms, “Wake up, Mai-Ling. Wake up, dammit…Wake up! MC, what do we do?”

Beep!

Beep!

“Look at that,” MC showed him her phone screen with a notification on it simply saying, ‘Let the games begin.’, “I’m sure you got one of these, too.”

“Yeah.” Without another second passing, Seven and MC were sucked into the RFA chatroom.

_[MC has entered the chat.]_

_[707 has entered the chat.]_

_707:_

_Who are you?_

_Unknown:_

_I see the RFA has a hacker in its back pocket, too._

_707:_

_ANSWER ME!_

_Unknown:_

_Care to play a game, MC and 707?_

_707:_

_I SAID, ANSWER ME!_

_WHO ARE YOU, ASSHOLE?_

_MC:_

_Only one person has come through this chatroom named Unknown._

_…Saeran?_

_Unknown:_

_I don’t know who Saeran is._

_But that’s not my name._

_707:_

_MC, Saeran has an RFA username now._

_MC:_

_Oh, yeah._

_707:_

_What did you do to Mai-Ling?_

_Unknown:_

_She’ll be fine._

_Besides, she’s just an Allmate._

_What are you getting so defensive about?_

_707:_

_SHE’S MY ALLMATE!_

_Unknown:_

_And you hacked my Allmate._

_I’d say you had this coming._

_707:_

_Who are you?_

_Where are you?_

_Unknown:_

_And what do I want from you?_

_I don’t want anything from you personally._

_MC:_

_Then, why did you hack us?_

_Unknown:_

_Just working a job._

_I’m sure you understand, 707._

_707:_

_That doesn’t mean I go around hacking someone’s Allmate._

_You hurt my little girl!_

_Unknown:_

_Yikes._

_And people say I need to get out more._

_At least I’m not getting overly emotional over an Allmate._

_I do know someone who treats his Allmate like a pet, though._

_Is that what it’s like with you and Mai-Ling?_

_707:_

_What_

_Did_

_You_

_Do_

_To_

_Mai-Ling?_

_Unknown:_

_It’s a little failsafe I put into my security system._

_If anyone tries to hack my system, they get a little virus to whatever device they use to hack me._

_In this case, it’s your Allmate._

_It’s nothing serious. No more than a virtual spanking. _

_If you managed to get this far in my systems and find me, you’re more than capable of fixing your Allmate. _

_Whenever you’re ready, come find me again._

_I’d love to meet you in person._

_[Unknown has left the chatroom.]_

_[707 has left the chatroom.]_

_[MC has left the chatroom.]_

“MC,” Seven started hyperventilating, “I can’t…I can’t handle this.”

“Do you need to sit down?” she asked.

“I’m spiraling,” he grabbed her arm, “It’s happening fast and it’s happening hard. I…I…”

“Luciel,” MC sat him down on a nearby bench, “Breathe with me. We’ll take care of Mai-Ling and get her back. Then, we’ll go after our hacker. It’s going to be ok.”

“No, it’s not,” Seven’s tirade continued, “It’s not going to be ok. I wanted to protect Mai-Ling. I thought she’d be able to handle this. But I was wrong. And now, she’s hurt. I didn’t want to hurt her, MC. But now, she’s sick. She has a virus and I don’t know the severity of it. All he said was that it’d be easy to take care of, but how am I supposed to trust him? What if it’s wiping her entire system? She was innocent in all of this, MC! I did this to her!”

“No, you didn’t,” MC stopped him, “Our hacker did this. You didn’t know she was going to catch something in there. Why don’t we go back to the hotel? We could all stand the rest and we’ll regroup, ok?”

“You know I’m not the violent type, MC,” Seven shook, “But I really want to shove my fist down this guy’s throat.”

“No, no, no,” she shook her head, “Don’t do that. We don’t need assault charges while we’re in a foreign country. I know he’s pissed you off, but at least we have confirmation that he’s just one person.”

“How do you know he’s just one person?”

“Because,” MC held Seven’s hand, “He never said anything about anyone else. He said that he was working a job. If there was anyone else, he would’ve said we instead. And to top it all off, we know he’s not alone. He’s working for someone. I can feel it.”

“You think so?” Seven wiped the tears from his cheeks.

“I know so,” she pulled him down to her shoulder, doing her best to get Seven to calm down, “Come on. Let’s go back to the hotel, ok? You could use the rest.”

“It’d be better to work on Mai-Ling there anyway,” he insisted, “Preserve her dignity. It’s bad enough I had her exposed to the world out here. I’m sorry, Mai-Ling. I’ll never let you down again. I promise.”

Hearing Seven so broken up about Mai-Ling tore MC’s heart in half. At the end of the day, Mai-Ling was more than just a machine to him. They had a bond. Seven loved her terribly and hated himself for putting her in harm’s way like that. But at the same time, MC had a point. How was he supposed to know their new Unknown would’ve had virus protection in the form of an actual virus? 

When they got back to their hotel, MC watched as Seven quietly stewed in his own self-flagellation. She had never seen him so angry, yet so focused on one thing in her life. Even when they were fixing the firewalls in the RFA security system, Seven was still calm and collected. This was different. And it scared MC to no end.

“Come on,” Seven mumbled to himself, shooting glances back and forth between Mai-Ling’s control panel and his laptop, “Live, baby girl…Live for me.”

“Hey, Seven?” MC treaded lightly, “Why don’t you come to bed? It’s getting pretty late.”

“I will,” he brushed her off, “In a minute.”

“You also said that an hour ago,” she pointed out, “I bet a little sleep would do you some good.”

“Let me get a little further here first,” Seven demanded, “And then, I’ll go to bed.”

“Ok,” MC knew better than to argue with him at this point. It’d only upset him more, “I’m going to step outside for a minute, ok? If you need me, I’ll be on the balcony.”

“Ok,” he was laser focused on the opened Allmate in front of him, hardly even listening to what MC had to say, “Thanks, MC.”

Before she went outside, MC put a fresh Dr. Pepper on the table next to him, just in case he needed it. _As long as he stays hydrated, he’ll be fine, right? _She walked out to the balcony and took a seat, unlocking her phone. MC debated for a moment or two whether or not to call home. Who would she even call? Chances are, V was asleep and if Saeran was asleep, she didn’t want to risk waking him up. That wasn’t something that came easy for him. Or often. In a perfect world, his brother would be in the same position, but he’s too hyper focused on Mai-Ling to think about anything. 

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” a voice called out in the darkness. All MC could see was the glowing end of his cigarette.

“I guess,” she let out a heavy sigh, not expecting any neighbors out here.

“Are you ok?” the man asked, “You sound down.”

“Bad night,” I shook it off, “I’ll be fine.”

“Ok,” he dropped it, “I understand if you don’t want to talk about it. Do you mind if I vent then?”

“Go ahead,” MC allowed, “I’m not going to stop you.”

“I don’t live very far from here,” the man confessed, “I have someone not too happy with me because of some things I said to his girlfriend.”

“Were you being a dick to her?” she assumed.

“Quite the contrary,” he laughed, “I treated her better than her boyfriend did. Rumor has it, he wants to kick my ass. Personally, I’m more of a lover than a fighter, so I thought I’d hide out here for a few days.”

“Sounds like his problem,” MC figured, “Not yours.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” the man awed, lighting another cigarette, “Are you here by yourself?”

“No,” she told him, “I’m here with my husband.”

“Husband?” he wondered, “You don’t sound like you’re old enough to be married.”

“We’re married,” MC stood her ground, sticking to the backstory like glue, “Whirlwind romance. His brother introduced us. But…”

“But what?”

“Our Allmate is having some problems,” she came clean, “He’s working on her right now and it’s got him a little upset. I hate seeing him like this.”

“I’m sorry to hear that…”

Out of seemingly nowhere, a small, red bird landed on the railing of MC’s balcony, “Aww…Hi there, little friend. You’re very cute. But you should be sleeping, too. Just like I should be sleeping. And like how Luciel should be sleeping.”

“But I’m not tired,” the bird spoke, catching MC off guard.

“You can talk?!” she gasped.

“Sorry,” the man giggled a bit, “My Allmate likes to get away from me once in a while. Don’t worry, though. Beni’s pretty harmless.”

“Can I pet you?” MC wondered.

“Sure,” Beni allowed, “Go ahead.”

“You’re so little,” she gushed, gently grazing the back of her pinky over Beni’s soft feathers, “I’d love for you to meet my husband, but he’s so wrapped up in his work right now.”

“How long are you in town for?” the man asked.

“I’m not sure,” MC thought, “I think it’s pretty open ended right now.”

“Maybe you and your husband and me and my boyfriend could go out tomorrow night,” he offered, “That is, if you’re not too busy.”

“I don’t even know your name,” she pointed out, “And you’re just asking us to double date with you?”

“I don’t know your name either,” he retaliated, “But I have a good feeling about you. My name is Koujaku. What about you?”

“MC,” she introduced herself, “How long are you here, Koujaku?”

“I don’t know,” Koujaku thought for a moment, “I might be pretty open ended here, too. Tell you what. Meet me out here tomorrow morning with your husband and we’ll talk details then, ok?”

“Ok,” MC wasn’t sure what it was about this guy, but she got a good vibe from him, too. 

“Besides,” he put out his cigarette, “It’d be nice to see what you look like in the daylight.”

“Not much different than what I look like in the dark.”

“Sweet and funny,” Koujaku awed, “I like you, MC. You should go get some sleep.”

“I was thinking that very same thing,” she agreed, “Good night, Koujaku.”

“Good night, MC,” he got up from his chair, “It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“You, too,” MC followed suit, letting Beni fly back to his owner’s balcony. She walked back inside to find her “husband” sound asleep at the table with his face on his keyboard. MC shook her head, mildly irritated. _I told him to go to bed, didn’t I? Dare I? I have to. _MC gently put a hand on his shoulder, “Seven…”

“Hmm…?” he moaned a bit.

“You need to go to bed,” she insisted, “I can’t leave you here like this.”

“I can’t leave her like this,” Seven quivered, “I can’t…I can’t lose her.”

“You won’t lose her,” MC promised, “That doesn’t sound like the best hacker in the world that I know. Was that coffee mug I got you for Christmas last year a lie?”

“No…”

“Come on,” MC helped him up, “You can work on her in the morning. For now, you’re going to bed.”

“Ok,” Seven wasn’t going to fight her. Mostly because he lacked the energy. It’s not the first time MC has had to put him to bed like an angry toddler. And likely not the last. She took off his hoody and his glasses and tucked him into bed only to follow in shortly after. With a little kiss to his forehead, MC rolled over, getting the sleep she deserved. _We can talk about Koujaku in the morning. _


	9. Mr. and Mrs. Choi

To no surprise, MC woke up the next morning to a cold, empty bed. _I could’ve sworn I brought Seven to bed last night when I came in. _When she pushed herself up, Seven was already wrist deep in Mai-Ling’s circuits, laser focused on doing his best to fix her. Although, MC couldn’t help but worry about his current mental state. Seven had been surrounded with empty Dr. Pepper cans and paper coffee cups, totally unable to sit still. _He’s probably hopped up on enough caffeine to give himself a heart attack, but it’s also Seven. I’ve never seen anyone with a tolerance like his before. At least he’s keeping himself hydrated._

“Hi, Seven…” MC approached with caution, picking up his empty pile.

“Morning, MC,” Seven stayed glued to his work, “I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

“No,” she shook her head, “I’m good. What about you? Doing ok?”

“I’ve been better,” he admitted, “But I’ve also been worse.”

“How long have you been awake?” _Please don’t say you got out of bed last night after I tucked you in. _

“Maybe…” Seven leaned over and checked the clock on the nightstand, “A couple hours. I woke up, took my medicine, and got to work.”

MC breathed a heavy sigh of relief. _There’s one less thing I need to worry about, _“So, how’s it been going?”

“You missed it, MC,” he reported, “I think I’ve made some serious headway with her. I got her legs to twitch a few minutes ago. We can call that progress, right?”

“Absolutely,” she agreed, “I know she’s a little iffy right now, but I’m sure you can fix her. Our hacker did say you should be able to take care of it and the virus wasn’t fatal.”

“You really think we can trust him?” Seven scoffed, gently putting a circuit board back in the little panda splayed out on the table, “Hackers don’t really have much of an honor code. I don’t know if this virus has wiped Mai-Ling completely or not. If it did, we’ll have to go back to the electronics store where we got her and get her rebooted.”

“That’d be like calling tech support.”

“How dare you?!” Seven gasped, clutching his chest, “You insult me? God 707, hacker extraordinaire? MC…I’m disappointed in you…Quite frankly, I’m disgusted! Tech support, she says…Why don’t you just slap me in the face? It’d hurt less.”

“I’m screwing with you, Seven,” MC kissed the top of his head, “Just making sure you’re still in there.”

“I’m here,” he promised, taking her hand, “I know you worry about me, MC, but I’m good. Pinky promise.”

“Good,” she draped her arm around his shoulders. Then, the memory of what happened on their balcony popped into her head, “Hey…How would you feel about taking a break?”

“Not yet,” Seven shot her down, “Once I’m done with Mai-Ling, then we can take all the break we want. Given that she was twitching her feet earlier, I shouldn’t be much longer. Maybe half an hour or so.”

“Ok,” MC let it slide, “I’m going to go out on the balcony for a bit, ok? Think you can manage without me?”

“I’ll be fine,” he assured, cracking open another can of Dr. Pepper, “With the power of God and anime on my side, anything is possible.”

“I’m also cutting you off,” MC took the remaining case of Dr. Pepper out of Seven’s reach, “I don’t need to take you to the hospital today for a heart attack. That’d be kind of a bummer to go back and tell the rest of the family.”

“But MC,” Seven whined, “That’s the life elixir! What if I get tired in the middle of a major breakthrough?”

“Then, work through your tiredness and go to bed when you’re done.”

“Damn,” he sat back for a second, “That was pretty cold blooded.”

“Sometimes,” she pointed out, “You need that intervention.”

“I don’t have a problem,” Seven teased, “I can quit whenever I want to.”

“Seven…”

“Fine!” he pouted, “Do I at least get my last one?”

“Last one,” she allowed.

“Yay!” MC shook her head and left her beloved idiot to work. _It’d probably be a good idea to call V and let him know we’ve made contact with the hacker. He didn’t tell us much, but at least we know he’s working alone. And he’s working for someone. _

“Well, well,” a familiar voice called out, “It’s a pleasure to see you in the daylight, MC. I was wondering when you’d show up.”

When MC turned around, following that voice, her heart stopped. _Oh, hello. You’re pretty. _MC would love to say he didn’t make her sweat a little. However, that wasn’t the case_, _“Koujaku…Hi…”

“Hi there,” Koujaku flashed her a little smile, “What are you doing out here all by yourself? I thought you said you were bringing your husband the next time we saw each other.”

“I was going to,” MC explained, “But he’s still working. He won’t be out for a little while yet.”

“That’s too bad,” he slumped over the railing, “I was hoping I’d get to meet him sooner or later.”

“You will,” she promised, “Just not quite…”

“MC, GET IN HERE!” Seven barked from inside.

“Hold that thought,” MC held a finger up to Koujaku and ran back inside, “What is it, Seven? Is everything ok?”

“I…” a gentle sigh spoke, “I feel…fuzzy.”

“That’s because you are fuzzy,” Seven scooped up the little panda from the table and held her tight, “Welcome back, sweetheart. Can you tell me your name?”

“My name…” she nuzzled her face in Seven’s shoulder, “My name is Mai…Ling. And yours is Seven, right?”

“That’s right.” Tears streamed down Seven’s cheeks, “I’m so sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to put you in harm’s way like that. Can you ever forgive me?”

“Of course I can,” Mai-Ling cuddled into him.

“And what about her?” Seven pointed to MC, “Do you remember what her name is?”

“That’s MC,” Mai-Ling reported, “I know her, too.”

“That’s good,” Seven let out a heavy sigh of relief, “I’m so glad you’re ok.”

“How do you feel, Mai-Ling?” MC asked, taking the empty seat across from Seven.

“Like I ate something yucky,” Mai-Ling told her, “And tired. I’m so tired, MC.”

“You can sleep mode all you want in a little while,” Seven stipulated, “I want to make sure all of your functions are still good yet.”

“Mai-Ling,” MC had a sudden idea, “How would you like to make a new friend?”

“What do you mean?” Mai-Ling crawled away from Seven and into MC’s lap.

“Yeah, MC,” Seven gave her a look, “What do you mean?”

“Well,” MC bit her lip, knowing exactly what Seven could be like around new people, “We need to be a married couple for a bit.”

“Really?” he perked up, starting to come around to the idea, “What for?”

“I inadvertently signed us up for a double date with our next balcony neighbor,” she braced herself for whatever kind of spastic energy Seven would respond with, “He’s really sweet and my god…If he didn’t already have someone, I might cheat on my fake husband with him.”

“I thought we were something special, MC,” Seven dramatically laid his head on her hip, “I thought you loved me. And now, we’re going to have to go through a fake divorce because of a guy you met while we were on vacation. Our poor fake kids.”

“Our one real one is ok again, though,” MC bounced Mai-Ling in her arms, “And I said if he _didn’t _already have someone. Relax, Seven. Our fake marriage is still intact.”

“Sweet.”

“Hi, MC,” Beni flew into their room and found himself a perch on her shoulder.

“Hi, Beni,” MC moved him to her finger, “Say hi to Beni, Seven.”

“Hi, Beni…?” Seven wasn’t quite sure what was going on. All he knew was that MC had a little bird on her finger.

“Could you go get Koujaku for me?” MC requested, “Tell him to come out on the balcony.”

“Got it,” Beni took off from her finger and flew back to his owner.

“MC,” Seven blinked a couple times, “What the hell just happened?”

“That’s Beni,” MC explained, “He’s Koujaku’s Allmate. Just…Come here.”

She brought Seven and Mai-Ling out onto the balcony and waited for Beni to come back. Mai-Ling had buried herself in MC’s belly already, preparing herself for sleep mode. However, Seven kept giving her little nudges to make sure she was still awake. Then, Koujaku rejoined MC outside on his respective balcony.

“You call for me, MC?” Koujaku sat back down, covering his legs with the bottom of his kimono.

“Hi, Koujaku,” MC smiled, already a puddle inside. Then again, Koujaku had that effect on a lot of people. Men, women, it didn’t matter. His charm knew no bounds.

“Is this your husband?” Koujaku asked, nodding toward Seven.

“Is this your mistress?” Seven jabbed.

“Yes, it is,” MC giggled, rolling her eyes, “Luciel, this is Koujaku. Koujaku, this is my husband Luciel.”

“Pleasure,” Seven played it off, just as weak at the knees as MC was over Koujaku. No one could blame him.

“Likewise,” Koujaku looked him over, “He’s cute, MC. You did well for yourself.”

“He called me cute, MC,” Seven gave her a nudge, “Maybe I’ll run off with him instead.”

“He’s also a handful,” MC glared a hole through him, “But what the hell? I’ll keep him.”

“Thank you,” Seven laid his head on her shoulder, giving Mai-Ling soft pets. 

“Let me go call my boyfriend,” Koujaku got up, “I’ll see if he’s busy. Then, we can take off, k?”

“Ok,” MC let him go, watching him go back inside, “Thank God for that ass.”

“MC,” Seven squeaked, “He’s not a piece of meat.”

“Did you see that ass, though?” her eyes nearly popped out of her head, “It didn’t quit. It was going places. But you’re right. He’s not a piece of meat. He’s really nice, though. He was kind enough to let me vent last night when we were out here.”

“While I was having my breakdown inside?” Seven wondered, taking things in a darker direction.

“While you were working on Mai-Ling,” MC corrected him, “You knew exactly where I was if you needed me. And you know to ask for me. Otherwise, I’m not going to know something’s wrong.”

“You’re right,” he backed off, “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair. But now that Mai-Ling is all better, the occasion is deserving of a celebratory breakfast, is it not?”

“Definitely,” MC approved, “I’m starving. I’m sure you could stand to have half the caffeine in your body soaked up.”

“Oh, totally,” Seven nodded, “I’m running like a damn racehorse right now. I can see sounds and smell colors and I think I can see into the matrix.”

“You can’t see into the matrix, you dork,” she let out a heavy, exasperated sigh, “Thank God you’re cute.”

“I love you, too, MC,” Seven snuck a kiss on her cheek, “Mai-Ling?”

“Yes, Seven?” Mai-Ling perked up at the sound of her name, “What is it?”

“You can enter sleep mode, if you’d like,” he told her, “I’m sure you’re fine. Just a little rest, though. Sleep mode for fifteen minutes, ok?”

“Ok,” Mai-Ling nodded, “Engaging sleep mode…”

“Good night, sweetheart,” Seven kissed the top of her head.

“Should we leave the baby here while we get breakfast?” MC asked, cradling the sleeping panda in her arms.

“Of course not!” Seven snapped, “There’s no telling how freaked out she’d be when she came out of sleep mode and neither one of us were here. Would you leave a newborn by itself, too?”

“No,” MC should’ve known better. After this last scare with Mai-Ling, there’d be no way Seven would want to leave her alone, “Good call. We really should get her a sling while we’re out.”

“That’s a good idea,” he agreed, taking Mai-Ling off MC’s shoulder, “She’s so cute when she’s sleeping…”

“Yeah, she is,” MC ran her fingers down Mai-Ling’s back.

“She’s just like her mama,” Seven smiled, already forgiving MC for her transgressions.

“I didn’t birth her, Seven,” she pointed out, “I’m sorry to burst that bubble, but you were there when we got her.”

“I was talking about me,” he clarified, “I’m adorable. Koujaku even said so.”

“I know,” MC shook her head. _I should’ve known, _“I was there for that, too.”

“Come on,” Seven grabbed his hoody, zipping Mai-Ling against his chest, “I’m sure Koujaku is waiting.”

Knock, knock.

“Speak of the devil?” MC assumed.

Seven stood up on his tiptoes and peeked through the peephole, “Speak of the devil!”

“Open it then!”

“Hi!” Seven came out of the gate a little strong, but he was like that with most new people. We’ll just call it a defense mechanism.

“Hi,” Koujaku giggled a bit, reaching into Seven’s hoody, “And who is this little cutie?”

“This is Mai-Ling,” Seven introduced her, “She’s our Allmate. But she’s sleeping right now.”

“Lazy type, huh?” Koujaku assumed.

“Yeah,” Seven nodded, “But she also just underwent major surgery, so she gets to sleep all she wants.”

“Oh,” Koujaku backed off, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s alright, Koujaku,” MC excused him, “It’s not like you knew that’s what Luciel was working on. So, what did your boyfriend have to say?”

“He said he’ll meet us there,” Koujaku reported. Beni flew over from his shoulder to MC’s.

“Hello again, smol birb,” Seven beamed.

“Who’s your panda friend, MC?” Beni wondered.

“That’s Mai-Ling,” MC told him, “When she wakes up, I’m sure you two will be best friends.”

“We really should socialize Mai-Ling some more,” Seven thought, “It’d probably expand her networks.”

“Capital idea,” MC gave Beni a little pet, “But I believe I was promised breakfast.”

“Yes!” Seven chirped, “Koujaku, you know the area better than we do. Any recommendations?”

“Ideally,” Koujaku thought it over, “We would be going to my boyfriend’s grandma’s house. Tae-san’s cooking is absolutely incredible. But something tells me she’d conk me on the head with her rolling pin and I’m really not in the mood for a head injury.”

“Sounds like a feisty old gal,” Seven pointed out.

“Big time,” Koujaku confirmed, “But she can be very sweet at her core. Just don’t tell her I told you that or…”

“Conk with the rolling pin?” Seven figured.

“Yeah,” Koujaku nodded, “But there is a good restaurant down the street from here. I’m sure we can get breakfast there. Besides, it’s not too far from one of the junk shops, so if you need anything for Mai-Ling, that’d be the place to get it.”

“Do you know if we can get a baby sling there?” Seven wondered.

“I don’t think so,” Koujaku wasn’t sure what to think of Seven. Then again, upon first meeting him, no one knows what to think of Seven. It’s part of his charm.

“She’s a little fragile,” MC clarified, “And Luciel has separation issues.”

“Damn,” Seven gasped, “Just put me on blast like that, MC…Thanks.”

“It’s true,” MC gave him a little kiss, hoping that’d make up for it. 

“Well then,” Koujaku insisted, “Shall we?”

With their Allmates secured, Seven, MC, and Koujaku left their hotel in search of breakfast. Fortunately, Koujaku knew his way around Midorijima like the back of his hand. Although, they didn’t have very far to go. He brought the two outsiders into a comfortable café just around the corner from their hotel. The natural light provided a peaceful atmosphere in contrast to the hustle and bustle of the city outside. It wasn’t long after they got there that they managed a table.

“Sorry,” Koujaku’s plus one to the excitement finally joined them, “It took me a minute to get away from the junk shop. I got some weird calls this morning and Haga-san gave me the rest of the morning off.”

“Hi there,” Koujaku pulled his chair out for him.

“Aoba!” MC chimed, her face lighting up.

“Hello, MC!” Aoba smiled at her, “Long time, no see.”

“You two know each other?” Koujaku wondered.

“Yeah,” Aoba nodded, “MC and her husband came into the junk shop the other day looking for Allmates, but…Well…We’re just a junk shop. You want to say hi, Ren?”

Aoba unzipped his bag and a dark, fluffy head popped out of it, “Aoba, is everything ok?”

“It’s fine,” Aoba assured, “Look. MC’s here.”

“Hello, MC,” Ren jumped out and laid down in her lap.

“What is it with me attracting Allmates?” MC giggled to herself.

“You’re just likeable, MC,” Seven pointed out, “I hate to be the one to tell you, but I thought you already knew.”

“Thanks, Luciel,” MC put her head on Seven’s shoulder, scratching at Ren’s belly.

“So,” Aoba noticed the little head sticking out of Seven’s hoody, “You guys finally got an Allmate of your own?”

“Yeah,” Seven nodded, watching MC with Ren, “I actually just had to put her back together.”

“What happened?” Aoba wondered, “I hope it wasn’t too serious.”

“She caught a virus,” Seven filled him in, trying to keep their cover, “She went poking around in a system she wasn’t supposed to and caught something.”

“Yikes,” Aoba winced, “What kind of system was it?”

“Some Rhyme player,” Seven brushed him off, “Apparently, he’s got some pretty juiced up security.”

“If I didn’t know any better,” Koujaku thought, “I’d think it was the bean sprout.”

“What have I told you about calling him that?” Aoba scolded him.

“Calling who what?” Seven’s ear twitched.

“A friend of ours,” Aoba clarified, “His name is Noiz. He’s really good with computers. He’s a technological genius. He keeps his systems well protected, too.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah,” Aoba went on, “But then again, it’s Noiz. He has to.”

“Why?” MC asked, idly playing with Ren’s paws. And Ren would never admit it out loud, but he loved every second of it.

“He’s an information broker. And he’s a professional Rhymer.”

“Really…?” Seven and MC exchanged glances, having a full conversation without even speaking a word.

_Do you think…?_

_It’s possible. Definitely fits the profile._

“I just got into Rhyme myself,” Seven lied, playing things off, “I’d love to meet him.”

“We should invite him here,” Aoba suggested, looking over at Koujaku, “That is, if you two can behave yourselves.”

“Fine, fine,” Koujaku brushed him off, “I’ll play nice if he does.”

“Totally!” MC chirped, “That sounds like a plan.”

“Are you sure that’d be ok?” Aoba winced, “This was just supposed to be the four of us. It’d be weird to have a fifth wheel.”

“It’s fine,” Seven insisted, “Please.”

“Ok,” Aoba excused himself from the table, “I’ll go call him.”

“Ok,” MC waved him off, playing with his Allmate some more.

“Noiz really is a good kid,” Koujaku admitted, “He’s a little shit more often than not, but deep down, he’s a good kid. But I’m not the one to ask about him.”

“Why not?” MC wondered.

“Aoba dated him,” Koujaku explained, “He knows more about Noiz than Noiz knows about himself, I’m sure.”

“Well, good news,” Aoba came back to the table, “Noiz is coming. He said he was a block away and on his way here anyway.”

“That’s great,” MC smiled sweetly, “The more, the merrier.”

“Aoba…” a man approached their table, his face ninety percent metal and a cube hanging from his belt with a bunny’s face on it, “You didn’t say _he _would be here…”

“Come on, Noiz,” Aoba stopped him before he could start, “You said you’d play nice.”

“Anyway,” Noiz pulled up a chair, looking Seven and MC over, “Who are these two?”

“This is MC and Luciel,” Koujaku introduced them, “Don’t be a dick.”

“MC, huh…?” Noiz studied her face closely, “It’s strange. I just had a chat with a girl named MC not too long ago…Although, she wasn’t with a guy named Luciel.”

“His name was 707,” Seven glared through him, holding himself back, “Wasn’t it…Unknown?”


	10. Into the Unknown

“Noiz?” Aoba looked at the boy with his face full of surgical steel, curious about his new title of Unknown. _I know it doesn’t take much for Noiz to get into trouble, but what has he done this time? _“Why did he call you Unknown?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Noiz sat across from Seven with a certain glint in his eye. He knew exactly why Seven was calling him Unknown. And that glint was enough to propel Seven into a blind rage. Quite literally. 

Seven jumped across the tabletop and went for Noiz’s throat, “YOU!”

“Seven!” MC pulled him back, trying not to cause any more commotion in the restaurant, “I understand why, but you can’t do that! Not here!”

“Me what?” Noiz scoffed while Seven fumed across the table. Never in her life had MC ever seen Seven get violent. She always thought there couldn’t be a single violent bone in that boy’s body. Yet, if she wasn’t sitting in his lap to hold him down, MC didn’t have a doubt in her mind that Noiz’s blood would end up on the floor.

“Noiz,” Aoba wondered, “What did you do?”

“Why does it have to be me?” Noiz pouted, “How do you know it wasn’t him? He was the guy trying to choke me, Aoba, and you take his side?”

“It’s because you’re you, Noiz,” Koujaku jumped in, “You tend to meddle in everyone’s business at least once. Even if you don’t know them.”

“Danke, arschloch,” Noiz mumbled under his breath, “All I did was what I was asked to. I got a job. I got my information for the client. I cashed a check. Where, in any of that, was there an excuse for whoever the hell this guy is to try killing me?”

“You almost killed Mai-Ling!” Seven growled, still ready to pounce at any given minute.

“Is this really about your Allmate?” Noiz rolled his eyes, “I swear…It’s just a machine. And I told you then. If you were good enough to hack into my systems and get the virus in the first place, your Allmate would be a simple fix.”

“So,” Aoba noticed, “You do know him.”

“Not personally,” Noiz explained, “He’s the one I had to get the information from. And apparently, he didn’t like that.”

“I don’t care about that anymore!” Seven snapped, “You hacked us first. We hacked you back. And in our retaliation, your virus almost wiped out Mai-Ling!”

“Seven,” MC put his hot, angry face between her cool hands, doing her best to calm him down, “It didn’t wipe out Mai-Ling. She’s ok.”

“Disengaging sleep mode…” Speak of the sleepy little devil, “Seven…?”

“Hi, sweetheart,” Seven cradled her close to his chest, “How are you feeling?”

“A little better,” she reported, nuzzling her face into his shoulder.

“Noiz,” Aoba gasped, realizing the relationship Seven and Mai Ling had. He had seen it once before, “You say she’s just an Allmate…”

“She is just an Allmate,” Noiz stole a drink from Aoba’s glass, “It’s not the end of the world.”

“What if it would’ve been Ren?” Aoba asked, making Ren’s ear twitch.

“Ren’s different,” Noiz defended, “Yeah, he’s just an Allmate, too, but…Ren’s also a much older Allmate. His systems are delicate. This one…”

“Mai-Ling,” Seven hadn’t settled down much, but he was calm enough to merely glare a hole through Noiz, “She has a name. Use it.”

“Mai-Ling,” Noiz obliged (much to his own chagrin), “She looks to be fresh off the showroom floor. Talks like it, too.”

“Are you trying to say my little girl is stupid?” Seven’s anger started boiling back up again.

“I’m saying she’s probably got the same brightness as a two-watt lightbulb.”

“Noiz!” Aoba scolded him, “I’m sorry, Luciel. In case you couldn’t tell, empathy isn’t one of Noiz’s strong suits.”

“Clearly,” Seven’s breathing grew shallower as the flames in his belly grew hotter and higher.

“It’s alright, Seven,” MC spoke gently to him, “You know what he’s doing. He’s just trying to rile you up for his own twisted enjoyment. And you’re giving him the satisfaction. Don’t let this asshole get to you. We’re ok. Mai-Ling is ok. Now, relax for me…Alright?”

“MC…” Seven laid his heavy, exhausted head on her shoulder, “Can we go home yet?”

“Not yet,” she kissed his forehead, “Soon, though. We still have unfinished business to take care of here.”

“Noiz,” Aoba knew his next move would be dirty and underhanded, but it had to be done, “What if a nasty virus like the one you gave to Mai-Ling had gotten to Clear?”

The dirty smirk on Noiz’s face quickly fell. Seven made a mental note of it, curious about who Clear was. But Noiz knew. Noiz knew all about Clear. Although Seven was reveling in this new information, Noiz had an ache in his chest, thinking about his favorite android. Well, he’d never call Clear an android. Not to his face anyway. It took away from the illusion Clear had in his mind. Noiz didn’t expect Aoba to stoop so low to use Clear against him. Instead of yelling at Aoba like he wanted to, Noiz stared down at his feet, quietly reeling from the blow to his chest.

“I think you broke him, Aoba,” Koujaku looked Noiz over, noticing his sudden sad state.

“It needed to be done,” Aoba wasn’t backing down. In hindsight, he slightly regretted using Clear against him, but it was the only way to get Noiz to listen, “Noiz, apologize to Luciel.”

“I’m sorry,” Noiz mumbled, “But I was just doing my job. I’m sure you’ve been in my position before. Given we’re in the same profession. I have bills to pay and a mouth to feed, too.”

Seven still shook with blind rage, so that meant MC had to step in for him, “Noiz, do you know who you were working for?”

“I couldn’t tell you,” Noiz shrugged, “Any time we were on the phone with each other, they used a voice filter.”

“That didn’t ever throw up red flags?” MC wondered.

“It’s a common practice in my line of business,” Noiz had completely stolen Aoba’s drink at this point. And it had gone dry, “Aoba, you should order another one of those. It’s really good.”

“I know,” Aoba glared into the empty orifice where Noiz’s soul should be, “That’s why I ordered it. For myself.”

“You should’ve gotten two.”

Aoba got up from the table, his eyes rolling back in his head. No one at that table was too happy with Noiz to begin with. However, he brought most of it on himself. Koujaku held his head in his hands, “You exhaust him, you know.”

“He’d never say it, though,” Noiz assumed, “He’s too sweet.”

“So, keep taking advantage of that sweetness?” Koujaku figured, “That’s the plan?”

“How is that any different from what you do?” Noiz asked bluntly, “You take advantage of it, too.”

“He’s my boyfriend,” Koujaku jumped on the defensive, “That’s totally different.”

“No,” Noiz corrected him, “From what I’ve heard from Tae-san, it’d be nothing for you to come over unannounced, eat her food, and crash there for the night. And that was before you were dating.”

“Guys,” MC stepped in, “Before we have any bloodshed…I stopped Luciel from killing Noiz. I don’t want to have to split you two up, too.”

“Sorry, MC,” Koujaku backed off immediately.

“I’m not apologizing for honesty,” Noiz kicked his feet up on Aoba’s empty chair.

“Whatever,” MC let it go, not having the energy to fight with Noiz any more than she already has.

“Wow, MC,” Koujaku thought, “You seem like you’d make a good mom.”

“Why?” Noiz grumbled, “You and Aoba already looking for surrogates?”

“No!” Koujaku groaned, “You really don’t know how to keep your nose out of shit, do you? Aoba and I are nowhere _near _ready for us to start looking for surrogates. I’m just pointing it out. Do you have any kids, MC?”

“Just this one,” MC pulled Seven into her hip, “And…Well…I got a couple more back home, now that I think about it. But that’s here nor there. I’d like to get back to them as soon as I can. However, I can’t do that without finishing up here first.”

“Did I miss anything?” Aoba came back with two drinks in his hand, reluctantly putting one of them in front of Noiz. And that was enough for Noiz to move his feet.

“MC,” Koujaku wondered, “Are you and Luciel even here on vacation?”

“Sorry,” MC bit her lip, “We were kind of undercover until Noiz showed up.”

“MC,” Seven buried his face in her back, one hundred percent ready for a nap, “Did I blow our cover?”

“A little,” MC shrugged, “But it’s ok. We really didn’t need the cover.”

“It’s just fun for us to be fake married,” he groaned, “I like us being fake married. If we ever get real married, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle it.”

“You guys aren’t even really married?” Koujaku gasped.

“Maybe,” MC giggled, “But we really do need to get back on track here. We have his brother at home and he worries me when he’s by himself for too long.”

“Fine,” Noiz sipped on his drink, “What do you want from me, MC?”

“Did your client not even give you a name or anything?” MC asked.

“No,” he shook his head, “I just got a phone number to call when I finished the job.”

“Did you try tracing the number?”

“It was just a burner,” Noiz told her. _Damn…Maybe the girl’s smarter than I give her credit for. _

“Dammit,” MC looked over at Seven, getting a quick assessment of his mental state, “If I get up from your lap, do you promise me you won’t try to kill Noiz again?”

“Yes, Mom,” Seven promised.

“Alright,” MC kissed his cheek and moved back to her own seat, “Noiz, do you think you could arrange a meeting between you and your client on the burner?”

“I highly doubt it,” Noiz figured, “I mean, it’d be worth a try. Why do you ask?”

“Because,” MC explained, “I got a feeling this goes deeper than just you. Please, Noiz…Will you try?”

“I’m not making any promises,” Noiz finished his drink, “But I can try.”

“Thank you,” MC smiled, “But we really need to be heading home. We’ll regroup, recharge, and hit it again soon. What do you think, Seven?”

“Ok,” Seven agreed, “And we really should check on Saeran.”

“Who’s Saeran?” Mai-Ling stuck her little head out from MC’s bag.

“You’ll meet him when we get home,” Seven took her out, cuddling her against his chest, “He’s my brother. And I know he’s going to love you.”

“Yay!”

“it was nice meeting you, guys,” MC shot a look at Noiz, “Well…Most of you.”

“Hell yeah!” Seven squeaked, “That’s my girl!”

“Seven…” MC settled him.

“What the hell, MC?” Noiz awed, “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have met Aoba and Koujaku in the first place.”

“You hacked us, Noiz.”

“You also need me to find my client,” Noiz argued, “So…Do what you will with that information.”

“We should be going, though,” MC got up, “Bye, guys! And Noiz…I’m sure you know how to get a hold of us.”

“Yeah…”

“Bye!”

Seven and MC walked out of the café with Mai-Ling riding in Seven’s hoody. Despite all that had happened in that café, Seven looked over at MC with a big ass grin on his face. It got MC to giggle a little, “What’s got you so damn happy all of a sudden?”

“My fake wife is…” Seven stopped himself, “Wait, MC. Do you mind me saying something that might possibly sound somewhat offensive, but I promise it comes from a place of love?”

“Go ahead,” MC allowed, “Hit me with your worst.”

“My fake wife is a lowkey shady bitch!” he applauded, “And I love her a little more for it!”

“I love you, too, Seven,” MC shook her head a bit, “And you’re right. I am a lowkey shady bitch. But what do you expect? Look at who I hang around on a regular basis. Who do I spend my weekends with most of the time? And my Thursday nights?”

“King Shady Bitch of Them All,” Seven laughed to himself, “Don’t get me wrong, I love Saeran, but I’m sure he’d be the first one to agree with me on that.”

“Not to mention,” MC added, “I know a few other shady bitches, too.”

“You thinking Jumin?” he figured, “Because I’m thinking Jumin. There’s no way he’s not a shady bitch. Between him and Zen.”

“They totally are!” she squeaked, “Should we really be talking about our friends like this, though?”

“They know,” Seven assumed, “I think. Come on, MC. They have to. Especially when Jumin’s on one that day, you will never see cattier bitches than in the RFA chatroom. You’ve been around us long enough to know that much.”

“Yeah,” MC agreed, “You’re right. Speaking of our friends and the RFA chatrooms, I’m going to go call V. Let him know we’re on our way home.”

“Ok,” he let her go and found a spot to sit on a nearby bench.

“Hey, Seven,” Mai-Ling nuzzled her little face under Seven’s chin, “What’s it like where you live?”

“It’s great,” Seven gave her belly a little scratch, “Chances are, you won’t have to do stuff like this ever again. I’m keeping you out of instances of light espionage for the rest of your life. If I can.”

“But what if I want to…”

“No,” he put his foot down, “I’m not doing it, Mai-Ling. I’ve already almost lost you once. You’re lucky you were asleep when I was fixing that virus in you. It was awful.”

“You fixed me, though,” Mai-Ling cuddled into Seven’s shoulder, “And that’s all that matters. But now that we’re going home, does that mean we’ll get to play together some more?”

“Absolutely,” Seven’s heart melted, “Whenever I’m not working like this. But when I am, I’m sure you and Uncle Saeran will get along famously. He mostly watches trashy TV and takes naps. If that’s not you in a nutshell, sweetheart, I don’t know what is.”

“But we’ll still be a family, right?” she worried, “I’ll still see MC all the time?”

“Of course,” he kissed the top of his head, holding back the tears that wanted to come out of him so bad, “But chances are, you’ll sleep mode at my house.”

“I can sleep mode anywhere,” Mai-Ling promised, “Your house, MC’s house, in your jacket. It doesn’t matter to me.”

“I know,” Seven hugged her tight, “But promise me you won’t get into any trouble anymore, ok? I don’t think I’d be able to handle that again and as much as I love MC and taught her everything she knows about basic mechanics, I don’t know if she’d be able to put you back together again like I did.”

“Seven,” she put her little paw on his mouth, getting him to effectively shut up, “I’ll be fine. You don’t always have to worry about me. But I appreciate the sentiment.”

Seven kissed the bottom of her paw, “If that didn’t sound like something MC would say…”

“What?” MC came back, shoving her phone back in her pocket.

“Don’t worry about it,” Seven brushed her off, “Shall we get going?”

“Absolutely,” MC nodded, “V sends his love and we’re on the next flight home.”

“And when does that leave?”

“In exactly twenty-three minutes,” Mai-Ling reported.

“Alright,” Seven jumped up from the bench, “We should be getting back to the hotel then, yeah? Get our stuff and haul ass to the airport?”

“Sounds like a plan to me!” MC approved, “Mai-Ling, you ready?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Alright,” MC gave her a little scratch to the head, “Then, let’s go!”

And so, the three of them got back to the hotel, grabbed their luggage, and hopped on their plane. Mai-Ling had gone into full sleep mode for the duration. As did Seven. He had taken a liking to using MC’s shoulder as his pillow. As much as he liked using her thighs for that, something about her shoulder seemed less invasive. Her thighs were only a pillow for when they were working. But MC couldn’t sleep a wink. _Who did you get tangled up with, Noiz? And why did they want to hack the RFA in the first place?_


	11. Home Again.  For Now.

After what felt like a long flight, Seven, MC, and Mai-Ling had made it back to Seven’s house later that night. The trip to Midorijima was rather educational. In the few days they were there, Seven and MC managed to make new friends (some of which were _actually _made. _See Mai-Ling._), find their hacker, and even somewhat befriend their hacker. Although, there was one thing both Seven and MC couldn’t wait to get back to. And he happened to be in his favorite place: Stretched out on the living room couch, wrapped up in a blanket with the Food Network on.

“Saeran!” Seven sang from the front door with Mai-Ling on his back, “We’re home!”

“We?” Saeran crossed his fingers, hoping his brother was not alone.

“We,” MC confirmed, sitting on the back of the couch.

“MC,” Saeran immediately curled up in her lap, hugging her tight, “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too, Saeran,” she melted a little inside, “I missed you, too.”

“Does this mean we get to watch Cutthroat Kitchen now?” Saeran hoped.

“In the morning,” MC decided, “I’m exhausted and I could stand about sixteen hours of uninterrupted sleep.”

“You and me both, sister,” Seven agreed, “But see, I have to go see V. Get him up to speed on everything that’s going on.”

“Go ahead,” MC insisted, “I think I can handle things here. Saeran, do I have to tuck you in?”

“I’m not a baby, MC,” Saeran pouted.

“I know,” MC rephrased herself, “Would you like me to put you to bed, Mr. Cranky?”

“…Please.”

“That’s what I thought,” MC took Saeran by the hand and the two of them walked into his bedroom. Without another thought, Saeran crawled into bed, pulling MC toward him. Because there were few things that MC took selfish indulgence in. One of them was tucking Seven and Saeran into bed. Despite the fact that they were both big boys and could do it themselves, they both slept better when they fell asleep with MC by their sides. At one point, Saeran swallowed his pride and slept in the same bed with Seven just so he could lay with MC, too. It’s nice when the boys can share.

“So,” Saeran asked, cuddling into MC’s ribs, “How’d Midorijima go?”

“Surprisingly pleasant,” MC reported, “Seven and I met our hacker face to face.”

“You met him?” Saeran gasped, sitting up in bed, “How did that go?”

“It’s the funniest thing,” she went on, getting Saeran to lay back down, “Because he had managed to hack into the RFA chatroom while we were standing outside his apartment. And do you know what his screen name was?”

“I wasn’t there, MC,” he pointed out, “I have no idea what his screen name was.”

“I’ll give you a hint,” MC smiled, getting lost in a haze of nostalgia, “For a minute, I thought he was you.”

“That son of a bitch!” Saeran jolted up again, ready to kill Noiz just like his brother.

“It’s alright, Saeran,” she brought him back down, “You’re not the only Unknown in our lives anymore. But his name is Noiz. Right now, he’s the least of our worries.”

“Why do you say that?” he wrapped himself around MC. Partially for comfort. Mostly to keep from having another outburst.

“Someone hired Noiz to hack us,” she explained, “He was just the middle man.”

“So,” Saeran laid his head on MC’s stomach, “What do we do now?”

“We’ll have to work together,” MC shrugged, “I mean, it’s not like we have much of a choice. We need to find out who wanted that information from us and why. We already have a way of finding out the who, thanks to Noiz. He has a way to contact his client. We’ll see if we can arrange a meeting.”

“Sounds exhausting,” he let out a little yawn, “I don’t know how you and Saeyoung do it.”

“You know,” she bit her bottom lip, bracing herself for whatever may come next. MC was about to take a leap so big, scientists would be able to classify it as a swan dive, “We really could use an extra pair of hands on this, Saeran. You want in?”

Saeran’s blood ran cold. He was no stranger to digital espionage. However, his last foray into hacking on this big of a scale had taken its toll on him. Although it left him mentally scarred, some good had come from it. Saeran got to reconcile with his brother. Possibly just as important, it got him MC. Even though she was merely a victim of happenstance. Saeran had made significant progress since those days. The last thing he wanted to do was backslide.

“I don’t know, MC,” Saeran took the middle ground, needing a day or two to think on it, “We’ll see.”

“Ok.” MC wasn’t going not force him into it. She knew better than that. Few knew the full extent of the hell that raged in Saeran’s head. For the first few months he lived with Seven, MC was the only one who could fully succeed in bringing Saeran down from his most wicked panic attacks and night terrors. Now, it wasn’t often they got too bad. That didn’t mean MC wouldn’t still have his back. Clearly. Look at them now, “Get some sleep, ok, Saeran? We’ll talk more in the morning.”

“Ok,” he nuzzled his face in her side while she pulled the blanket over him, “Good night, MC.”

“Good night, Saeran,” MC kissed the top of his head. When it came to tucking in her boys, whether it be Saeran, Seven, or V, MC had three main goals in mind: To make sure they were comfortable, to make sure they were warm, and to make sure they knew they were loved. If by no one else, at least by her. However, the sudden pitter patter on the hardwood floor and squirming in the bed were new.

“MC,” Saeran’s eyes popped open, “Am I high or did you feel that, too?”

“I felt it, too,” MC felt a little more than that as a soft blob of black and white fur wiggled into her neck, “Hello, Mai-Ling.”

“Hi, MC,” Mai-Ling spoke softly, “Is it ok if I sleep mode here?”

“You’d have to ask Saeran,” MC picked Mai-Ling up and clicked on the lamp, “Saeran, this is Mai-Ling. Seven and I picked her up in Midorijima. Mai-Ling, this is Saeran.”

“Hold on,” Saeran rubbed his eyes, “Still not entirely believing what he was seeing, “I thought Mai-Ling was a person. You’re a panda cub?”

“That’s right,” Mai-Ling balled up in MC’s lap.

“A talking panda cub?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve heard of you,” Saeran reached for her, hesitating a little, “You’re not going to bite me or some shit like that, are you?”

“That’s not in my programming,” Mai-Ling assured, “I won’t harm you.”

“But,” he scooped her up, poking at her a bit, “You’re an Allmate, right?”

“Right!” Mai-Ling didn’t know it quite yet, but she had already stolen Saeran’s heart.

“Hey, Mai-Ling,” MC wondered, “Is Seven back home yet?”

“He is,” Mai-Ling nodded, “He’s on the couch in the living room.”

“Ok,” MC got out of Saeran’s bed, “You stay here. Mommy and Daddy need to talk for a minute.”

“Ok,” She cuddled into Saeran, “Can I go to sleep mode?”

“Of course you can, sweetie,” MC allowed, “Saeran, are you going to be ok?”

“Yeah,” Saeran couldn’t stop petting his new friend, “We’re good.”

“Go to sleep, ok?” MC gave them both one last kiss good night and went off to find her fake husband. Just as Mai-Ling said, Seven had spread himself out on the couch in front of the TV with his eyes shut, “Seven?”

“Hey,” Seven pulled himself together, making room for her, “Care to join me? There’s plenty of couch here to go around. You’re more than welcome to it.”

“Always the gentleman,” MC sat down, “Is everything ok with V?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “V’s great. Vanderwood made sure of that. But do you think we could save the debriefing for tomorrow morning?”

“Sure.” MC could see it all over his face. Seven was beat.

“Do you know where Mai-Ling is?”

“She’s in with Saeran,” MC pulled Seven’s arm out of his hoody sleeve.

“That sounds adorable,” he gushed, pulling his other arm out.

“Hey,” MC suggested, taking Seven’s hand, “Let’s go to bed, ok?”

“Ok,” Seven got up from the couch, following MC toward his bedroom, “Hey, MC, can I ask you a big, big favor?”

“Sure, Seven. What’s up?”

“Will you…” Seven turned shy. Mostly because he hated asking for help, “Will you stay with me tonight?”

MC simply threw her arms around Seven’s waist, “Of course. We’re still fake married, Seven. I’m not just going to leave you. What will our fake kids think of us?”

“Oh, MC…” Seven hugged her tight, “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” she melted inside, “Come on. Bed. You’re not sleeping on the couch. If Saeran can’t do it and V can’t do it, neither can you.”

“Come on, MC,” he whined, “It’s so comfortable out here.”

“Seven,” MC shoved her finger in his chest, “You have a perfectly good bed not twenty feet away from here.”

“I know,” Seven pouted, pulling himself up with an assist from MC, “It’s a car bed, MC.”

“I know it is,” she giggled a little, “Because heaven forbid you have a big boy bed.”

“It made Yoosung cry.”

“That’s because your car bed could pay for his tuition for the rest of his collegiate career.”

“That’s true,” Seven nodded, “But still…You can’t tell me an Aston Martin doesn’t make a cool car bed.”

“It does…” MC rolled her eyes a little. _Because heaven forbid Seven has a big boy bed. _

Instead of critiquing his life choices, MC brought Seven into his bed and got him tucked in. Although, there was no way she’d be leaving. Seven stuck to her like glue. Even the slightest movement would wake him up. But she wasn’t going to complain. Because there were few pleasures in this world that got MC right in her very core like being able to baby Seven. And Seven sucked it up like a sponge. 

The next morning, MC made sure Seven was good and sleeping before she even bothered moving. Although, it was a good sign when she could pick up his arm and drop it to the bed without any resistance. _Yep. He’s out like a light. _That didn’t mean she could get out of bed like a ruffian, though. Carefully, she pulled the blanket back over Seven and walked out of his bedroom. _Sleep well, Seven. If anyone deserves it, it’s you. _

Whenever MC stayed with Seven and Saeran, it wasn’t exactly uncommon for her to walk into the kitchen like she owned the place. Seven always told her to treat his house like it was her own. And she always stuck to that. Right down to her own case of energy drinks in the fridge. That was all Seven’s doing. He wanted to make sure she’d be comfortable, no matter how often she’s there. He called it her unofficial payment for helping him take care of Saeran. 

Speaking of Saeran, when MC walked into the kitchen, she could see Saeran sitting in the living room with a bowl of cereal in his hands and a Mai-Ling cuddled up in his lap. However, she couldn’t make out what they were saying on TV. So, of course, MC wasn’t going to let Saeran have breakfast all by himself. She cracked open a can of something cold and caffeinated and joined him on the couch.

“Morning…” Saeran spoke first, not breaking his eye contact with the TV.

“Good morning, Saeran,” MC scratched the top of Mai-Ling’s head, “Morning, cutie.”

“Good morning, MC,” Mai-Ling drawled. Someone wasn’t quite awake yet. 

“So,” MC looked up at the cartoon robots on the TV, “Transformers, Saeran? Isn’t that kind of out of your wheelhouse?”

“Sometimes,” Saeran shrugged, shoveling another spoonful of cereal into his mouth, “On a Saturday morning, you just want to watch cartoons. A break from the trashy reality TV and the catty bitches is sometimes a necessary evil.”

“I feel you,” she agreed, “They’re exhausting.”

“So,” he wondered as a commercial break aired, “What’s the game plan for today?”

“I figured we’d get the gang together,” MC thought, “Do some regrouping. Let them all in on what’s been going on.”

“Isn’t that what the chatroom’s for?”

“The chatroom’s already been breached,” she pointed out, “It’d be safer to do this in person.”

“That makes sense,” Saeran allowed.

“And I need to go see V,” MC kissed Saeran’s cheek, “You think you could tell Seven when he wakes up, Saeran?”

“Yeah, sure,” he brushed her off, “You’re going to V’s. Got it.”

“Mai-Ling,” MC stretched her hand out to the little panda in Saeran’s lap, “Would you care to join me?”

“Me?” Mai-Ling perked up, scaling Saeran’s arm to get to MC, “I get to see V?”

“I’m sure you met him yesterday,” MC threw her on her shoulder, “You were with Seven when he left here last night.”

“I was still in sleep mode from the flight,” she chirped, “I heard so much about him from Seven. I can’t wait to meet him!”

“Excited little thing this morning,” MC giggled, “We won’t be gone very long.”

“Ok,” Saeran kept eating his cereal, “See you later, MC. I’ll make sure Saeyoung knows where you ran off to.”

“Yes,” MC let Mai-Ling hang from her wrist, “Please let my fake husband know that I’ve taken the baby and I’m running into the arms of another man.”

“I’m not sure if that’d be such a good idea, MC,” Saeran winced, “When he’s just waking up? He’s kind of fragile.”

“Good call,” she bit her tongue, quickly realizing her boo-boo, “Just tell him…”

“V’s.”

“Thank you, Saeran.” And just like that, MC and Mai-Ling left Seven and Saeran’s house for V’s. It’s not that MC didn’t trust that Vanderwood did a good job. She needed to see for herself to put her mind at ease. Of everyone she cared about, MC worried for V the most.

She took out her keyring and unlocked V’s front door. Sure enough, MC found V sitting in his living room with his tea in front of him, “Good morning, MC.”

“Morning, boss,” MC sat across from him.

  
“I’m happy to have you back in one piece,” he reached for his tea.

“The same could be said for you,” she pointed out, “How have you been?”

“I made all of the courtesy calls,” V reported, “But other than that, things have been quiet. What about you?”

“Well,” MC took Mai-Ling off her shoulder, “Before we go on, there’s someone here I want you to meet.”

“Really?” he wondered, “I didn’t hear anyone else come in. Who would that be?”

“This,” MC put the little panda in his lap, “is Mai-Ling. She’s…”

“A talking panda cub,” V ran his hand down her back, “Seven told me all about you.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, V,” Mai-Ling cuddled into him. If there was one thing that made MC weak at her knees when it came to that little panda, it’s how loving she could be. And it didn’t matter who it was. Everyone she knew could use someone like that. _Maybe Mai-Ling can be more help than I thought. _

“You as well, Mai-Ling,” V held her like a baby, rubbing on her belly. It’s safe to say she steals the hearts of anyone she meets.

“So,” MC wondered, “What do we do, boss? Since Seven caught you up on everything last night.”

“We don’t really have a choice,” V decided, “We’re going to have to work with our hacker. And you know what would be a good idea?”

“What?”

“I want you to find a commonality among our information theft victims,” he suggested, “That might point out a clue as to why they were hacked in the first place. Talking to Noiz some more would probably be a good idea, too. See if he knows more about those people than we do. If he’s hacked us, who knows who else he’s hacked looking for them? And Noiz would likely be able to point us in the direction of his client, too.”

“He can’t,” MC explained, “Noiz said his client is completely anonymous. They use a voice filter on the phone and the phone they use is a burner.”

“That’s unfortunate,” V racked his brain for another moment or two, “Maybe we could just go back to Midorijima. Have Noiz make the call and see if we can track that signal to whoever’s on the other end.”

“Sounds like a hell of an idea,” she approved, “But what about this German company Noiz was hiding behind? I never did find out what that was all about. Maybe they had something to do with it.”

“That is strange,” he agreed, “But we shouldn’t leave a stone unturned. Could you plan another trip to Midorijima again for me, MC? And include me on this one.”

“Of course,” MC nodded, “When do you want to leave?”

“We’ll go next week,” he instructed, “That way, you have a week to make your preparations. If there are any more coming along on this trip, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

“Alright,” she got up from V’s couch, “Do you need anything else while I’m here?”

“I’m good,” V smiled, “Thank you, MC. You’re too good for me.”

“Hush,” MC put an arm around him, letting Mai-Ling run onto her shoulder, “I’ll let you know when I get everything squared away, ok?”

“Ok,” he laid his head on her hip, absolutely content with the world. Although, something still bothered him. After MC and Mai-Ling left, V let his cool façade fall down. _This feels so familiar…Why? I don’t know. But something isn’t right. It almost feels like…her. Could she really be behind all this? Even beyond the grave? _V shook it off, only for it to keep creeping into his thoughts. In these trying times, he could only think to call one person. MC usually meant well, but even she couldn’t take care of this problem.

“Hello?” a sweet, innocent voice chimed on the other end.

V hesitated for a moment or two. At one time, he’d have better luck calling Saeran, “Hello, Yoosung.”

“Hi, V…” Yoosung’s cheeriness started to fade, “What do you want?”

“Things are starting to get bad again,” he swallowed his pride, “Really bad.”

“How bad?” Yoosung and V weren’t exactly on the greatest terms, but that didn’t mean Yoosung was completely heartless. He didn’t worry much about V, but he did worry for the rest of his friends.

“Remember when MC entered our lives?” V wondered, “Because that’s the level of bad things could be.”

“What’s going on?” Yoosung went on high alert.

“The RFA got hacked a couple weeks ago,” V filled him in, “But it’s much bigger than that. We’ll be leaving for Japan next week. Will you join us?”

“Who’s all going?” Yoosung asked.

“Seven, MC,” V listed, “Possibly Saeran. Zen and Jumin and Jaehee if need be.”

“So,” Yoosung figured, “The whole RFA could be going and you want to know if I’d be on board.”

“Since this is an RFA matter,” V nodded, “Yes. Please come with us, Yoosung.”

“Well,” Yoosung thought it over, “I’ve never been to Japan before. Ok. I’ll go, too.”

“Thank you,” V felt a sudden lightness in his chest.

“I’m not going for you,” Yoosung assured him, “MC’s going. I bet she’d be fun to hang out with in Japan.”

“I understand,” V’s good feeling faded. _Yoosung’s still coming to terms with everything that happened. Maybe one day, he’ll come to me, but right now…No such luck, _“We’re leaving next week. I’ll see you then.”

“Ok,” Yoosung’s excitement came back, “See you then!”

Click.

V laid back in his chair, a weight lifting from his shoulders. _Next week. Rika…Is this you? If it is, why? Why are you doing this to me? I want you to rest in peace. Why can’t you allow me the same courtesy? _


	12. Cutthroat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We need a nice chapter. This is like a one shot within the story. Like an OVA. But I promise everything ties together. Kloveyoubye.

After a long week of arranging travel plans and getting things in order, MC had more than earned herself a break. It’s unfortunate she had to spend most of her week running errands for V. She hardly had any time to herself that wasn’t sleep. However, as night fell on the day before the family vacation to Midorijima, she could finally rest easy. And MC had made a promise to someone very special to her. She’ll be damned if she goes back on that promise.

Before she could do that, MC made a quick stop by the grocery store. Whenever she did her grocery shopping, she never let Seven come with her. Sometimes, she would go with V (mostly to help him with his own) or with Jaehee (mostly to help her with Jumin’s), but Seven wasn’t allowed. The first and last time he did go with her, MC went home with more snacks than real food. One should never have an entire pantry of snack cakes at one time. Although, this particular trip to the grocery store was completely and wholeheartedly intended to be a snack food run.

MC knew that plenty of snacks would likely be available, but it never hurt to show up with a little extra. Especially where she was going. No one would complain. Fully armed with food and drink aplenty, MC drove off to fulfill her promise. Granted, they all had a flight in the morning, bright and early, but at least four of them would be in one place.

Knock, knock.

“MC!” Seven sang out, throwing his front door open, “What’s with all the grocery bags? Did you do my shopping for me?”

“No,” MC giggled, rolling her eyes a little, “It’s Cutthroat Kitchen night.”

“And Cupcake Wars,” Saeran grabbed a couple of MC’s bags for her, “Are you ready, MC?”

“Beyond ready,” MC loved few things more than her Cutthroat Kitchen nights with Saeran. Tonight would be no different.”

“Does that mean I’m banished to the other end of the house?” Seven assumed.

“Yes,” Saeran answered before MC had the chance to, “Go.”

“Saeran,” MC scolded him, “Seven can come and watch if he wants. It’s his house!”

“Ha, ha,” Seven chimed in victory, “MC loves me the most.”

“I never said that,” MC pointed out, “Seven, don’t be a shit starter.”

“Sorry, MC…” Seven knew better than to intrude on Saeran and MC’s Cutthroat Kitchen nights. Those were just for them. And it helped Saeran feel a little more human. Seven could spend all the time he wanted to with MC. They were a pretend married couple for a week while they were away in Japan. He could back off for a little while without a problem. 

“Alright then,” MC walked in the house, putting the rest of her bags on the kitchen counter, “Mai-Ling! I’m back!”

“MC!” the pitter patter of little feet echoed through the hallway as a bundle of black and white fluff toddled up to her.

“Hi, sweetheart,” MC cuddled her, “Are you going to watch Cutthroat Kitchen with us?”

“Oh, come on, MC,” Seven whined, “It’s bad enough you’re stealing Saeran from me. Don’t take Mai-Ling, too.”

“That’s totally up to Mai-Ling,” MC allowed, “So, Mai-Ling, do you want to come with me and Saeran or do you want to stay with Seven?”

“I’ll stay with Seven,” Mai-Ling decided, reaching for him. And of course, Seven would be more than happy to indulge her.

“That’s my girl,” Seven awed, cuddling her tight, “Go on. You two go watch your Cutthroat Kitchen.”

“So glad we have your permission, Saeyoung,” Saeran grabbed a box of Twinkies off the counter and threw himself into the couch, “Hurry up, MC!”

“I’m coming,” MC kissed Mai-Ling’s forehead, then Seven’s, “You two play nice.”

“We will,” Seven promised, “I got some work to do anyway.”

“Good,” MC grabbed her own box of Ding Dongs and sat her happy ass next to Saeran. Almost immediately, his head went onto her hip. MC wasn’t going to complain. She knew Saeran needed this as much as she did. Albeit for two different reasons.

“Hey, MC…” Saeran spoke softly, just before the show started.

“Yeah, Saeran,” MC put an arm around him, giving him that feeling of security he loved from her, “What’s up?”

“About this trip to Japan,” he shook a little, “I have a really bad feeling about it…”

“What kind of bad feeling?” she wondered, holding him a little tighter.

“I don’t know,” Saeran tried to explain it the best he could, “I just have a bad vibe. What’s Midorijima like?”

“It’s wonderful,” MC swooned, “It’s nothing but neon lights and technology as far as the eye can see. Don’t worry, Saeran. We’ll be ok. I’m just glad you’re coming with us.”

“We’ll see about that,” he smirked a bit, “Do you promise we’ll be ok, though?”

“Well…” she bit her lip, “I can’t promise that. But we can try our best. If that’s ok.”

“You know,” Saeran looked up at her from her lap, “You really are an optimist, aren’t you?”

“Better than the alternative,” MC shrugged, “Maybe I’m a little optimistic. One of us has to be.”

“In that case,” Saeran asked, “Can we go back to Cutthroat Kitchen now?”

“Of course.”

But MC felt it, too. She’d never tell Saeran, but she had a bad vibe about the trip, too. Something about it felt too familiar to the old days. The days where she had to get Saeran out of the bad situation he was in. The one that drove the biggest wedge between Saeran and Seven. The one that made Saeran unable to forgive V. But she knew they had allies in Midorijima. Even if Noiz was the one to hack his way into the RFA, he was merely the middle man. They’d be able to find who was really behind this in the morning. At least, that was the plan.

“MC?” Saeran gave her a little nudge, “Are you in there? You’re damn near spacier than me.”

“Yeah,” MC shook it off, “I’m here. What is it?”

“I asked you about Alton Brown,” he repeated himself, “Do you think he’s ever the one taking it?”

“You’re asking me if Alton Brown’s a sub?” she figured, “I doubt it. He’s too dominant.”

“I don’t know,” Saeran thought it over, “Maybe for one very special person, Alton Brown could sub.”

“No,” MC shook her head, “Now, I have a question for you.”

“Me, specifically?” he wondered, giving her an odd look, “What?”

“Would you ever sub for Alton Brown?” she teased, trying her best to lighten the mood in the room.

“What the hell, MC?!” Saeran squeaked, giggling a little, “No! I’m not…No! Would you?”

“He’s not my type,” MC shot him down. But she didn’t care. All she was looking for was a cheap laugh out of Saeran. And she got what she was looking for. The mild, off-color humor was worth it, “I do like them older, but old enough to be my dad is where I draw the line.”

“It’s good to know you have limits, MC,” he laid his head on her shoulder, “And you’re coming along on the Japan trip?”

“Of course,” she wrapped her arm around him, “I like Midorijima. I made friends there last time and I’d love to see them again. Don’t get me wrong. I love you guys. You’re family to me. But Aoba…Koujaku…Especially Koujaku…They could definitely be extended family, too. And maybe Noiz, if he promises to never hack us again.”

“I did.”

“That’s right,” MC held him tighter, “And we wouldn’t trade you for the world. You’re like the little brother I never had.”

“From what I understand,” Saeran jabbed, “I’m the brother-in-law you never had.”

“That was one time,” she clarified, “Yeah, Seven’s my fake husband. That’s nothing new. And if he’s my fake husband, that makes you my fake brother-in-law.”

“I’d be happy to have that title,” he cuddled into her side. And the two of them went back to their Cutthroat Kitchen. The commercials were over.

In the middle of the next challenge, MC felt a new lump in her lap that wasn’t Saeran’s head this time. Instead, Mai-Ling decided to join them, “Hi, MC.”

“Hi, Mai-Ling,” MC melted inside. But with Mai-Ling, that’s not hard to do, “What brings you into the living room?”

“I wanted to see what you and Saeran were watching,” she stared intently at the TV.

“Uh-huh,” MC knew better. She knew what this was, “You can come in, too, Seven.”

“Am I missing out on the slumber party?” Seven walked in, doing his best to keep his voice down.

“It’s not really much of a slumber party,” MC clarified, “It’s just Cutthroat Kitchen night.”

“But yeah,” Saeran chimed in, “You’re totally missing out on a rager of a slumber party.”

“Aww!” Seven whined, “Can I come join, too?”

“Mai-Ling can stay,” Saeran decided.

“Yay!” Mai-Ling sang out, nuzzling into Saeran’s belly.

“Come on, Saeran,” MC played the voice of reason, “I don’t see why Seven can’t come watch, too.”

“Fine,” Saeran caved, “But only if he keeps his mouth shut. No questions. No comments. No concerns. No stealing my Twinkies.”

“Got it,” Seven hopped over the couch, sitting by Saeran’s feet, “I’ll be quiet as a church mouse.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Saeran grumbled, his eyes glued to the TV.

“Hold on,” Seven treaded lightly, “Can I just ask one question?”

“What, Saeyoung?” Saeran was already regretting allowing his brother into his and MC’s sacred weekly ritual. 

“What’s Cutthroat Kitchen?”

“I’m going to kill him, MC,” Saeran sat up, fully prepared to strangle Seven.

“No, no, no,” MC moved him over to her spot, taking the seat in the middle, “Saeran, you’re not killing your brother. Seven, Cutthroat Kitchen is a high stakes competitive cooking show that occasionally gets weirdly sexual.”

“What do you mean?” Seven wondered, his interest piqued.

“Sometimes,” MC thought carefully, “Sometimes, light bondage gets involved. We don’t ask. We don’t judge. We’re just here to watch people cook. Occasionally with spreader bars on their wrists.”

“What’s a spreader bar?”

“Oh, Seven, Seven, Seven,” she pulled him into her other shoulder, “You’re so innocent. So pure.”

“Seriously?” Saeran scoffed, “We’re talking about the same guy, right?’

“Saeran…”

“Sorry…” Saeran knew better than to cut MC off. That was a fast track for pissing her off. And quickly.

“But before we can let you watch Cutthroat Kitchen with us,” she went on, “You need to answer the one question.”

“What’s that?” Seven gave her a look.

“Would you be a submissive for Alton Brown?”

“Who’s Alton Brown?” Seven looked up at the screen, “Which one is he?”

“He’s the host,” MC pointed out, “He’s the guy in the blazer.”

“Well,” Seven thought it over, giving it serious consideration, “He does have some really kind eyes. I bet he’s not horribly sadistic. Just a little controlling. And I think I could handle something like that. So, yeah. I’d sub for Alton Brown.”

“MC,” Saeran looked up at her, “Can you please tell me I’m adopted? Just so I can feel better about myself and maybe get some sleep tonight?”

“Sorry, sweetheart,” MC winced, “I hate to tell you this, but you two share blood. And a birthday. And a face.”

“Shit…” Saeran pouted, “I could always resort to plastic surgery. That way, we wouldn’t have the same face.”

“But that doesn’t stop the whole blood thing,” she bit her lip, “I’m sorry to tell you that, Saeran, but you couldn’t deny Seven if you tried.”

“You want to bet?”

“Come on, Saeran,” Seven teased, “You know that deep down, you do love me.”

“In small amounts,” Saeran admitted, “And when you’re quiet while I’m trying to WATCH CUTTHROAT KITCHEN!”

“I’ll be quiet now…”

MC chuckled to herself, shaking her head at the life she lived. She didn’t care, though. They may be at each other’s throats occasionally, but at the end of the day, the two boys on that couch? Those were her boys. And for tonight, she had her boys. Her boys, her little talking panda…And that impending flight to Japan they had planned for the morning. Things in Midorijima may not be pleasant in their next trip. But they may be. Whatever happened, MC knew one thing was for sure. She had her boys. And not just them, but her whole family. And most importantly, they had tonight. 


	13. The RFA Family Vacation

The next morning, MC had woken up at the crack of dawn, ready for their trip to Japan. Fortunately, she was smart and packed her bags before she even went to the grocery store. However, she knew that the two little angels, both sleeping soundly in their beds, didn’t have that kind of foresight. MC made her coffee in the kitchen and had her brief moment of peace. _There’s no way in hell Seven or Saeran packed early. That makes too much sense. That would be way too smart for my favorite geniuses. It’s only five o'clock. Our flight doesn’t leave until nine. We should be ok. Then again…It’s also Seven and Saeran. Peeling them out of bed might be an entirely different monster. _Especially Saeran. It wasn’t often Saeran got decent sleep, but when he did, he slept hard. One would have a better chance moving a mountain than a well-slept Saeran.

Once MC finished her coffee, she bit the bullet and walked into Saeran’s room. A part of her felt guilty for having to wake Saeran up. Yet she knew how to go about it. And none of it involved his brother. The last time MC trusted Seven to wake Saeran up, Seven ended up with a black eye and a broken nose. Then again, he only had himself to blame. He didn’t have to jump on Saeran’s bed. He didn’t have to blast ABBA at a high volume. He didn’t have to throw firecrackers around Saeran’s bed. He could’ve simply put a hand to his shoulder and gave him a little nudge. But that was far too simple for Seven. 

MC had a much gentler approach than Seven. She sat at the edge of his bed and kissed his forehead, “Saeran…Wake up, sweetie. We have to get going soon and I know damn well you didn’t pack.”

“Bold of you to assume I didn’t pack,” Saeran grumbled into his pillow, “My bag is in my closet and it’s packed.”

“Very good,” she covered him back up, “Then, go ahead and go back to sleep. I’m going to go wake your brother. Pray for me.”

“You have my prayers,” he rolled over, “Nighty night, MC.”

“Good night, Saeran,” MC got up from Saeran’s bed and headed across the hall. _Shit…On the plus side, Saeran’s packed, so it’s one less thing I have to worry about. On the not so plus side, I still have to wake Seven. There’s no way that’s going to be pretty. _MC took Saeran’s forethought as a sign of good things to come, hoping to God that karma was kicking good things her way. Before she woke Seven up, MC checked the closet for Seven’s luggage. Sure enough, it was empty. _Dammit, Seven. _With a deep inhale, MC braved waking the baby yet again.

Seven was a little easier to wake than Saeran and MC didn’t have nearly the same guilt. Instead of the gentle pat on the shoulder Saeran got, Seven got to be the little spoon. Normally, that would be MC’s spot. However, this morning, MC’s spot was taken by a certain little panda that had stolen the hearts of all who meet her. And MC was totally ok with that. Besides, it meant MC getting the chance to hold Seven for a little while. Seven laid his head in MC’s shoulder, content with the world. A little smile crept across his face.

“You’re nice and warm, Hatsune Miku…” he mumbled, “Be careful. You’ll wake the dragon…”

“Seven…” MC’s face lost all color, “I’m not Hatsune Miku…”

“I know you’re just a hologram…” Seven opened his eyes, realizing who was cuddling him, “Oh…Good morning, MC.”

“Good morning,” she came to again, “Care to explain to me what the dragon is, Seven?”

“That’s something between Miku and me,” he sat up, “Is everything ok?”

“Everything’s fine,” MC assured, “It’s just that we have a flight to make in three hours and you have yet to pack.”

“And I’m sure you do, too,” Seven defended, “Don’t judge me.”

“I’m already packed,” she pointed out, “My bags are in my car. Saeran’s all packed, too. But you, my dear, fake husband, are not. And before you say you are, I have already checked. You are certainly not packed.”

“Fine,” he pushed himself out of bed, grabbing his glasses off the nightstand, “I’ll go pack. At least I don’t have to pack for you this time.”

“Although,” MC made herself comfortable on his Aston Martin bed, “I think you did a better job packing for me than I did for myself. You can definitely make an outfit, Seven.”

“Thank you,” Seven took his well-deserved bow, “Wait a second!”

“What is it, Seven?” she picked Mai-Ling up and put her down on her belly.

“Since I was a kind soul and packed for you,” he wondered, “Maybe you could pack for me? Question mark?”

“No,” MC shot him down, running her fingers down Mai-Ling’s back, “Exclamation point. I take care of you and Saeran on a regular basis. The least you can do is pack your own bag for Midorijima. At least you wouldn’t have to worry about me stealing your underpants.”

“Are you sure?” Seven pulled a pair of lacy red briefs out of his drawer, spinning them around his finger, “Because you’re not the only one who has some pretty delicates.”

“That was more than I needed to see, Seven,” she giggled a little, “Those are your underpants. As long as you’re not stealing mine, we’re good.”

“Alright then,” he retreated back into his closet, “Your loss.”

MC shook her head. _This is one of my best friends. I choose to hang out with him and allow him in my life. Not that I’m complaining. I wouldn’t trade Seven for the world. Even when he’s a little odd. But that’s what makes Seven him, _“Hey, Seven?”

“Mmmyesss?” Seven poked his head out of his closet door, “What’s up?”

“When was the last time you ran diagnostics on Mai-Ling?” she wondered.

“Not too long ago,” he thought back, “I think it was just a couple of days ago. Whatever Noiz infected her with has ran its course and she’s all better now.”

“That’s good to hear,” MC relaxed, “Wake up, Mai-Ling. We have to get going.”

“Disengaging…Sleep mode,” Mai-Ling let out a sizable yawn and burrowed into MC’s arms, “Good morning, MC.”

“Good morning, sweetheart,” MC cuddled her, “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” she rubbed her eyes, “But I’m still a little sleepy.”

“You’re going to be,” MC melted inside, “You’ll be ok, though. Besides, you’ll be able to go back to sleep mode when we’re on the plane. But for now, why don’t you wake up and help Seven pack?”

“Ok,” Mai-Ling hopped down from the bed and waddled toward the closet, scaling Seven’s leg, then his arm, “Good morning, Seven.”

“Good morning, baby,” Seven cradled her, “Are you going to help me?”

“Can I?”

“Of course you can.”

“Hey, Seven,” MC got out of Seven’s bed before she fell back asleep, “I’m going to go grab a few things. Do you need anything while I’m out?”

“I don’t think so,” Seven ran over a potential list in his head, but he still came up blank, “Nope. I’m good.”

“Ok,” she kissed his cheek on the way out, “I shouldn’t be long, but please be ready by the time I come back.”

“Can do!”

“And don’t wake up Saeran,” MC shoved her finger in Seven’s chest, “So help me God, if I find out you were even in his bedroom, Seven, we’re going to have a problem.”

“What?” Seven squeaked, “You act like I’d do anything.”

“Seven,” she let out a heavy sigh, “I know you. I know how you operate. And I know you have shit for impulse control. Leave Saeran alone.”

“Fine,” he promised, “I’ll leave Saeran alone.”

“Very good,” MC smiled, “I’ll be right back.”

She didn’t have much to get, though. Just a few snacks for the plane and a coloring book to keep Seven occupied on the flight while the grown-ups talked. In all honesty, MC just wanted some time to herself. Anything that could ease her heavy mind. _Midorijima was good to us last time. Who’s to say it won’t be good again? As long as we have Noiz on our side and not warning his client about us, that’s all that matters. Don’t let bad shit go down while we’re here. More importantly, don’t let Saeran have an episode. He doesn’t need that. _

When MC got back, the house was completely silent. _Huh…Either Seven and Saeran left without me, someone broke in and killed them, or…_MC knew better. She knew what happened. _No. Seven wouldn’t do that. Because it would infuriate me to no end. He didn’t do something silly like go back to sleep after I left. Especially when we have a flight to make in an hour. I’m going to walk into that house and Seven and Saeran are going to be ready to leave._

MC knew it was wishful thinking. As she walked into Seven and Saeran’s house, the whole place was dead silent. Hear the drop of a pin from three miles away quiet. _Dammit. _In that moment, MC knew only one thing was going to work. And she was done playing nice. She knew it wouldn’t be the best at first, but it’ll be the most effective.

“Alright, boys!” MC yelled from the hallway, “It’s crunch time. We need to get our asses moving and pronto. If we miss this flight, I’ll be pissed. I’ve put too much time and energy into this trip and dammit, we’re making it!”

“Alright!” Saeran dragged his feet across the floor, still half asleep, with his bag in hand.

“Good morning, Saeran,” MC chirped, her mood lightening up, “Do you have everything? Your bags? Your medications? Your chargers?”

“Yes, Mom,” Saeran rolled his eyes, taking a seat on the back of the couch. 

“The last thing we need is your sass, Saeran,” MC scolded him, silently praying for the strength to get through the day.

“Sorry…”

“Where’s Seven?” MC looked in his bedroom.

“I’m in the closet, MC!” Seven called out, “I’ll be out in a second!”

“Ok,” MC let out a heavy sigh of relief. She leaned over the island in the kitchen, taking a moment to decompress before things got hectic. _I need a soda…Or more sleep. More sleep would probably be a good idea, too, but I can sleep on the plan. _MC heard the pitter patter of little footsteps as Mai-Ling toddled around the corner in a little yellow sundress, adding its own sunshine to MC’s disposition, “Mai-Ling, you’re adorable!”

“Thank you, MC,” Mai-Ling did a spin for her, watching her skirt billow out, “Seven picked it out for me.”

“Isn’t she cute as hell?” Seven came out with his bag in hand. Immediately, Mai-Ling climbed onto his luggage and scaled his arm.

“She is,” MC melted inside, “Can we keep her?”

“That was the plan,” Seven cuddled her. He had the world in his hands and he wasn’t going to ever let her go. No matter the circumstances. _As long as I got my Saeran and my girls, everything’s going to be fine. _

“Good,” MC scratched the top of her head, “You’re the only one who doesn’t cause me stress, Mai-Ling. Occasionally, you’ll worry the hell out of me, but for the most part, you’re the good one.”

“You’re welcome!” Mai-Ling sang out.

“Alright then,” MC bounced on her toes, “Car. Both of you. I’m going to call V and let him know we’re on our way.”

“Wait,” Saeran wondered, “We’re stopping at V’s?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, “Who else is bringing him to the airport other than his assistant? It’s kind of my job.”

“I thought maybe Jumin would’ve done that,” Saeran figured, “Or maybe he had his own driver.”

“I think you two could manage in the back seat from his place to the airport,” MC hoped, “Mai-Ling, you might have to separate them once in a while. Do not give me a reason to pull over.”

“We won’t,” Seven promised, “We’ll be good.”

“Wonderful,” MC stepped outside and pulled her phone out of her pocket, searching her contacts for her boss.

“Good morning, MC,” V answered on the other end.

“Morning, boss,” MC smiled, “You ready to go?”

“Yes,” he reported, “Should I be expecting you shortly then?”

“All four of us.”

“Four?” V perked up, “You, Seven, Saeran…”

“Mai-Ling’s coming, too,” MC explained, “She’s probably going to be quite a help tracking our not so friendly friend in Midorijima. She’s the one who found Noiz.”

“Worth a shot,” he agreed, “I’ll see you shortly, MC.”

“Bye,” MC tossed her phone in her center console and got in the driver’s seat. After Seven, Saeran, and Mai-Ling piled in the back, the four of them left for V’s. _This should be fine. I mean, I know Saeran and V don’t exactly get along. And that’s because Saeran holds the world’s biggest grudge. But it’s not like they’re going to try and kill each other. _

After they grabbed V and got to the airport, the five of them just barely made their flight. MC took a quick look around the plane for their seats. Fortunately, V was generous enough to splurge on first class for everyone. However, that was also at a certain someone’s insistence. Because much like Seven having a big boy bed and Saeran letting go of a grudge, heaven forbid someone like Jumin Han were to fly coach. 

“Wow!” a sweet, familiar voice chirped, “Is this really what first class is like, Jumin?”

“It’s just first class,” Jumin shrugged him off, “You’re making a much bigger deal out of it that what it really is, Yoosung.”

“I’ve never flown first class before,” he gushed, “Why would anyone fly any other way?”

“Because first class is expensive as hell, Yoosung,” MC sat next to him.

“Well, well,” Zen teased, “It’s about time you get here, MC. I thought the four of you weren’t going to make it.”

“We hit some traffic downtown,” V explained, “Forgive us if we were keeping you. Is everyone here?”

“I’m here,” Jumin told him.

“Me, too,” Jaehee shortly after.

“I’m here,” Zen sounded off.

“Mmhmm…” Yoosung didn’t want to give V the satisfaction, but he wasn’t going to completely ignore him. 

“It’s nice of you to join us, too, Yoosung,” V already had the satisfaction, but he also knew better than to push Yoosung. 

“So,” Zen wondered, “What exactly is going on here? I got a call from Jumin saying we were all taking a trip to Japan and no details.”

“Did you think it was going to be just the two of you?” Seven jabbed.

“No!” Zen squeaked, “Why would I willingly go alone to a different country with Jumin of all people?”

“I don’t know,” Seven smirked, “Maybe sometimes, you need to get away, just the two of you. Some time away from the kids can do you wonders.”

“We’re not dating, Seven!” Zen jumped on the defensive, “We’re not dating. And we never will!”

“Zen,” Jumin awed, a hint of a sarcasm in his voice, “I’m hurt. Maybe we did need some time away from the kids. But that would mean you spending more time with the special little girl in our lives.”

“We’re. Not. Dating. Jumin,” Zen was ready to punch someone. The game of cat and mouse between Zen and Jumin may date back as far as the beginning of time itself. But that didn’t mean Seven wouldn’t throw his hat in the ring once in a while, “And there is _no way _in Hell, I’d get near your cat!”

“Good,” Jumin let it go, “Because you don’t deserve to be in her presence. Although, she likes to watch you sneeze. It calms her at night.”

“No,” Zen retaliated, “You’re just a damn sadist!”

“That, too.”

“Zen,” MC stopped it before it could go any further, “You know Jumin’s just trying to get a rise out of you.”

Seven, with his shit eating grin on his face, stepped into things again, “I’m sure that’s not the only rise…”

“Seven,” MC hushed him. Instead of yelling, she dug in her carry-on and pulled out the coloring book she brought for him with a box of crayons, “Here. Play with this. I don’t want to hear a peep out of you for the rest of the flight.”

“Oh, hell yeah,” Seven beamed, “And the sixty-four pack? MC, you must love me.”

“When you don’t exhaust me,” she admitted, “Yoosung, you want to get in on that?”

“Yes, please,” Yoosung was just as excited about it as Seven was.

“Seven,” MC ordered, “Tear a picture out for Yoosung to color, too.”

“Ok!” Seven thumbed through the coloring book while the adults got to talk. With the exception of Saeran. He was off in his own corner, playing his game.

“So, V,” Zen shook off any sort of attempt at flirting Jumin was trying to lay on him, “What are we going to Japan for?”

“As we all know,” V began, “The RFA files were hacked a few weeks ago. Seven and MC managed to fix the hole in the firewall, but our hacker had cleaned house before they could catch him. Although, thanks to the little panda in Seven’s lap…”

“That’s me!” Mai-Ling chimed.

“Holy shit, it talks?!” Zen gasped.

“Yes, she does,” MC nodded, “This is Mai-Ling. She’s not exactly a panda. She’s a piece of advanced technology called an Allmate. She’s also a good girl.”

“Thanks, MC,” Mai-Ling crawled into her lap, “Can I go to sleep mode yet?”

“Go ahead, sweetheart,” MC allowed, “I’ll wake you when we land.”

“Ok,” she nuzzled her face into MC’s belly, “Engage sleep mode…”

And within seconds, Mai-Ling was out like a light. Zen sat back in disbelief, “And everyone’s just cool with us having a talking panda here?”

“Allmates are really neat,” Yoosung awed, his crayon in hand, “MC, can I hold her?”

“That’s a Seven question,” MC redirected him.

“She’s in sleep mode,” Seven allowed, “Go ahead, Yoosung. Just be careful with her.”

“Wow, Seven,” Jumin gasped, “I didn’t think you were capable of being gentle with another living creature.”

“Mai-Ling is different than Elly,” Seven clarified.

“She has a full name,” Jumin growled, “I’d appreciate it if you used it.”

“Boys,” MC stepped between them, “No.”

“Can we continue please?” V requested, “Without the bloodshed, preferably?”

“Sorry, V,” Jumin settled down almost immediately. If anyone on this plane had that power, it was definitely V. 

“Seven,” V ordered, “Go back to your coloring.”

“Got it, chief.”

“As I was saying,” V went on, “The RFA was hacked. But thanks to Mai-Ling, we’ve managed to track down the hacker to a place called Midorijima off the southwestern coast of Japan. However, our hacker is willing to work with us to find his anonymous client. We’ll find out who they are and what they want from us. Are we all on the same page?”

“I have a question…”

“Yes, Zen,” V gave him the floor, “What is it?”

“Why did we all have to go?” Zen wondered, “Couldn’t Seven and MC handle it?”

“Strength in numbers,” MC explained, “Besides, it’s been a while since the family got together like this. How long has it been since we’ve thrown an RFA party?”

“It’s been a few months,” Jaehee thought it over, “Maybe three or four?”

“Exactly,” MC nodded, “It’s not going to kill us to all go meet our hacker. And the people who were hacked? A couple film producers, the head of a major research group, and the heiress to a pharmaceutical distribution company.”

“The researcher guy is really nice,” Seven chimed in, “We met a couple times. He made my brain go all tingly for a while.”

“Did they find anything with you, Saeyoung?” Saeran piped up from his shadowy corner, “Because it would definitely explain a lot.”

“Not really,” Seven remembered, “But then again, he could’ve probably had my memories wiped Men in Black style and I wouldn’t even know it.”

“No one ever said you were normal,” Saeran buried his face back in his game.

“That’s for damn sure,” Zen agreed,

“But,” MC brought it back, “If all else fails and we have to do a little espionage, I’m sure a few of us could go undercover.”

“Easy,” Zen perked up, “In the bag.”

“Hopefully,” MC crossed her fingers, “We won’t have to get that far, but if it comes down to it…”

“So,” Jumin laid back in his seat, “A family vacation to some island in Japan. Sounds like it could be fun.”

MC still had an uneasy feeling about the whole mess, but at least she knew she wouldn’t have to go through it alone. 


	14. The Monster on Zen's Back

By the time their flight landed, MC and Jaehee were both ready to head to the hotel. Although, much to MC’s surprise, her biggest concern behaved himself for the whole flight. Getting that coloring book may have been what saved her. Someone earned a spot in MC’s bed tonight. When they got to the hotel, MC went to check in for everyone. With the exception of Jumin. That’s what he brought Jaehee along for. However, a beautiful creature checking out managed to catch Jaehee’s eye.

“Oh, sweet Jesus,” Jaehee gripped the top of MC’s arm, “MC, you know I’m not normally the one to gush, but this man is an angel who has fallen to Earth and you cannot convince me otherwise. He might actually be prettier than Zen.”

“Really?” MC was intrigued. If someone has Jaehee drooling more than she would over Zen, he had to be worth a look. However, when MC turned her head, she knew exactly who she was talking about, “Oh, shit…”

“See?” Jaehee swooned, “What did I tell you? That is a beautiful creature. Possibly more so than…”

“Koujaku!” MC sang out, running toward the beautiful creature.

“MC!” Koujaku dropped his bag on the floor and threw his arms around her, “It feels like ages since I last saw you!”

“It was just a week ago,” MC giggled, “Jaehee, come here!”

“MC,” Jaehee wiped the drool from her chin, “I had no idea you knew each other.”

“We do,” MC nodded, “Jaehee this is Koujaku. Koujaku, this is my friend Jaehee.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jaehee,” Koujaku raised the back of her hand to his lips, laying on the charm thicker than necessary.

“Yes…” Jaehee nearly combusted right then and there. It had been quite some time before anyone had shown her any romantic affection. She had a Jumin to take care of for the last five years. Which led to her social life suffering. Needless to say, Jaehee wouldn’t mind an evening with the angel in front of her, “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“You should meet everyone else, too!” MC suggested, “You got a minute or am I keeping you?”

“I got time,” Koujaku nodded, “Sure. I’d love to.”

“Hi, Koujaku!” Seven waved from the middle of the group, “Hey, guys! Look! It’s Koujaku!”

“We don’t know who that is, Seven,” Zen didn’t look up from his phone. He couldn’t be bothered. His idle game of Candy Crush was much more interesting than whatever Seven was rattling on about.

“According to Jaehee,” MC reported, rejoining the group, “Koujaku is prettier than you, Zen.”

“Excuse me?” That got Zen’s attention.

“Hello, Luciel,” Koujaku greeted the only friendly face he knew.

“I’m so sorry, Zen,” Jaehee hung her head in shame.

“I’m guessing you’re Zen,” Koujaku looked him over.

“Yeah,” Zen’s fight or flight response was all fight. He studied his competition closely. _Dammit. Jaehee has a point. But look at this guy. Massive build, the kimono that leaves little to the imagination. The sword on his back is a little unsettling, but I’m sure that adds to his mystery. AND he’s got tattoos? How the hell am I supposed to compete with that? _

“Well,” Koujaku smirked, “He’s cute. I’ll give him that. If you’re into that whole boyish charm thing.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Zen squeaked, jumping on the defensive.

“And he’s got fight in him,” Koujaku only added fuel to the fire, “Alright. I can get on board.”

“I think I like this man,” Jumin shook his hand, “Jumin Han. It is an absolute pleasure to meet you.”

“Hello,” Koujaku bit the inside of his cheek. _There is no way this guy isn’t into some things. I bet he’d be fun for a night, too, but I already had someone who’s got my heart. I’m not throwing it away for a kinky one night stand. _

“Jaehee?” MC worried as the blood trickled out of Jaehee’s nose, “Are you going to be ok?”

“I’m not sure,” Jaehee could hardly stand. If she wasn’t careful, she’d lose balance.

“It’s alright, Zen,” Yoosung chimed in, “I thought you said that it was what was on the inside that counts and your looks don’t matter.”

“Don’t be so naïve, Yoosung,” Zen burst his bubble, “That’s something hot people tell ugly people to make them feel better and think they’re on the same plane.”

“Your little friend has a point,” Koujaku agreed, “What good is a pretty face if the inside doesn’t match?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Zen was ready to kill someone. Possibly Koujaku with his bare hands.

“Boys,” MC had to step in before carnage could happen, “No. We’re here for a reason, Zen.”

“You’re right,” Zen settled down somewhat, “I’m sure this guy’s not involved.”

“Actually,” MC chewed on her bottom lip, “Koujaku, do you think you could get a hold of Noiz for me? I don’t have his number and the only way we could get a hold of him is to trace back through Mai-Ling’s database. Chances are, that part got wiped when we had to reboot her systems anyway.”

“Of course,” Koujaku put an arm around her, “I’d be happy to. Since you’re back in town, MC, does this mean we’ll get to see you later, too?”

“I don’t know,” MC shrugged, “Maybe. Depends on what direction the job takes us in.”

“Hold on,” Yoosung’s heart stopped, “MC, can I talk to you for a second?”

“In a minute, Yoosung,” MC held a finger up to him.

  
“I don’t think this can wait…”

“I’m not holding your hand this time,” MC rolled her eyes, “Seven, take Yoosung to the bathroom.”

“It’s not that,” Yoosung promised, “I can go on my own, but this is about something different.”

“Alright,” MC let him have it, “What is it, Yoosung?”

“When you say Noiz…” Yoosung twitched a little, “You’re not talking about…_the _Noiz…are you? Leader of Ruff Rabbit? One of the best Rhyme players in the world? E-league darling for the last few years?”

“That’s the one!” Seven chirped, “And…I’m going to say it…Also a horrible dresser. There. I said it. It’s like he has no idea what color coordination is.”

“Ooh,” MC jabbed, “Sassy bitch Seven has come out to play.”

“He’s not wrong,” Koujaku giggled, “I’ve tried telling him, but he just ignores me.”

“It’s like someone threw up in a Hot Topic,” Seven fell dramatically on a nearby chair.

“Careful what you’re poking at, Saeyoung,” Saeran shot him a glare, “For a while, I looked like someone threw up in a Hot Topic.”

“But you also came out of it,” Seven pointed out, “Can someone help me up? I kind of landed weird.”

“And he’s your fake husband, MC?” Koujaku teased.

“What can I say?” MC shrugged, “He was cute. We were on a flight here. I couldn’t say no.”

“We’re seriously about to meet Noiz?” Yoosung freaked a little, pulling Seven back onto his feet.

“He’s the one who hacked us, Yoosung,” MC filled him in, “Yeah.”

“Oh my God…” Yoosung leaned against the wall, stabilizing himself from sudden nose blood loss, “I love Japan. I love Japan so much.”

“Yoosung,” MC pulled him together, wiping the blood from his nose, “Focus. We’re here for a reason. I understand you want to fangirl a little bit here, but you have to see him as the guy that’s hacked the RFA, not the guy that’s one of your favorite e-leaguers.”

“Wait, MC,” Yoosung took her hand, “Does this mean I can meet him?”

“We’re all going to,” MC smiled, her insides melting a little. She liked seeing her boys get excitable. In a manageable way. It’s when they’re all bouncing off the walls at the same time that she wanted to walk into rush hour traffic, “We need to find out why he hacked us and who he works for.”

“This is going to be great!” Yoosung squeaked, “I don’t even care why he hacked us. The fact that it’s Noiz is the highest honor.”

“Don’t tell him that,” Koujaku warned, chuckling to himself, “We don’t need his ego getting any better.”

“You’re one to talk about ego…” Zen grumbled, still a little bitter.

“Oh, come on,” Koujaku put an arm around him, “Don’t be like that. I’m sure once you hit puberty, you’ll…”

Zen smacked his gesture off his shoulders, “Do. Not. Touch me.”

“Alright then,” Koujaku backed off.

“Zen,” MC pulled out her mom voice, “That was unnecessary.”

“_I’m _the one who was unnecessary?” Zen defended, “What about him?”

“I’ll get to him in a minute,” MC stood her ground, “Right now, I’m concerned about you. And besides, you did kind of start it. It’s not his fault that he’s a babe.”

“Thank you, MC,” Koujaku was more than happy to take that compliment.

“You’re welcome,” she went on, “But we weren’t talking about Koujaku. We were talking about Noiz. And if you met him, you’d understand. He doesn’t need an ego inflation. Yoosung, keep that in mind.”

“Yes, boss,” Yoosung nodded.

“Koujaku,” MC turned her attention to the other culprit, “You didn’t have to make your little side comment about Zen hitting puberty.”

“I thought I could poke the bear a little,” Koujaku sighed out, “Turns out I couldn’t. I’m sorry, Zen. I really do hope we can bury the hatchet here and possibly become friends.”

“I’ll take the apology,” Zen accepted, “But we’ll have to hold off on the friendship. We’re not here to make friends. We’re here to find out why our organization was hacked.”

“And that’s as good as it’s going to get,” MC bowed out, “So, what do we do now?”

“Our best course of action,” V suggested, “would be to regroup, find our rooms. We’ll meet up in an hour or so for dinner?”

“That sounds like a good idea,” MC agreed, “Guys?”

“Whatever,” Saeran grabbed his bag and the room key, “Sounds good to…Wait a sec, MC.”

“What?”

“There are only four keys here,” Saeran noticed, “What the hell?”

“Because,” MC explained, “I only booked four rooms. V and I will have a room, you and Seven have a room, Jumin and Jaehee have a room, and Yoosung and Zen have a room.”

“I have to share a room with Saeyoung?” Saeran groaned, “What did I ever do to you?”

“Thanks, Saeran,” Seven awed, “Love you, too.”

“Hey, MC,” Koujaku added, “You know what would be a really good idea?”

What is it, Koujaku?” MC asked.

“What if we all get dinner together?” he suggested, “I mean, we all are kind of involved anyway. I’ll get a hold of Noiz and bring Aoba along. I’m sure he’d love to see you again. Oh! And I bet if Aoba asks nice, we could probably introduce you to Clear, too.”

“I don’t know about that,” Zen stopped him, “Since this is an RFA matter, shouldn’t we be keeping this private? This would be bringing in complete outsiders who have no clue what happens here.”

“Well,” MC bit her lip, “You make a good argument, Zen, but at the end of the day, I think V would have the ultimate say on it.”

“It’s Koujaku, right?” V asked.

“That’s right,” Koujaku nodded, “V?”

“That’s me,” V confirmed, “More importantly. How are you involved in all of this?”

“I know Noiz,” Koujaku explained, “We’ve been in a situation relatively similar to this before. I’m not sure who his last client is, but you’re going to need us. We know the layout of this town better than you do. And…Well…If I said I didn’t have a little soft spot for MC, I’d be lying.”

“Aww,” MC laid her head on his ribs, “You’re not so bad either, Koujaku.”

“I’ll see if I can get the guys together,” Koujaku hugged her tight, “When I know something, I’ll call you, k?”

“Ok,” MC let him go, “We should go get settled into our rooms then.”

“We’ll see you later,” Koujaku kissed her cheek, “It was nice meeting all of you!”

“Bye!” Yoosung waved him off, “He does seem like a nice guy, Zen.”

“He’s a dime a dozen,” Zen rolled his eyes, “Pretends to be the charming knight in shining armor, but deep down, he’s kind of a dick.”

“How does that make him any different from you?” Jumin retaliated, “I liked him.”

“I’m not surprised, sir,” Jaehee held her face in her hands, already done with her boss for the day.

“Ouch,” Seven gasped, “Jumin with the wicked bruising to Zen’s ego! Who will win? Who will lose? Which one will be crying in the locker room after the match? How many licks exactly does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? Will we ever find out the answer to life’s important questions?”

“Saeyoung…” Saeran blinked a couple times, “What the _hell _are you rambling about?”

“I don’t even remember half of what just came out of my mouth!”

“Why are you such a douche?” Zen growled, “Maybe that’s why you like Koujaku. Because you’re both assholes.”

“No,” Jumin’s expression was unchanged, “I’m just a sadist. And when someone else pisses you off, it tickles me inside. Enemy of my enemy kind of thing.”

“Boys,” MC stopped them. _I don’t get paid enough for this, _“Please. Can we have the bitching contest some other time and not while we’re in the middle of business here? As of right now, I’m off the clock and I’m not sticking around to see who kills who first.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” V took MC’s arm, “Shall we?”

“Yes, please,” MC brought V to the elevator and the two of them went up to their room. 

“Hey, MC?”

“What, V?” MC leaned against the elevator wall.

“Is there a reason why you and I have a room together?” V wondered.

“I’ve put you to bed more often than I can count,” she pointed out, “I figured we’d share one while we’re in Midorijima. Is that ok?”

“That’s fine by me,” V allowed, the elevator emptying out, “Just curious. Seems like we’re in quite the mess.”

“Nothing we can’t take care of,” MC assured, pushing their key card into the slot, “While we’re here, though, please stay close to me. Midorijima’s a busy place and I’d hate for something to happen to you.”

“I should be alright,” he figured, sitting down on the bed, “But I appreciate your concern, MC. Go ahead and rest for a while before we go get dinner.”

“That was the intention.” MC wasn’t taking a nap. She was far too awake for something like that. Although, laying down was nice, too. _Here we are. Another family vacation. As long as everyone can get along, we should be fine. _


	15. Yoosung's Nosebleed

Night had fallen over Midorijima and Seven and Saeran found themselves in MC and V’s room. Mostly because MC had something Saeran needed. However, MC was too busy being holed up in the bathroom. It had been quite a while since the RFA threw a party and she had mostly been running errands for V and keeping an eye on things in his basement with Seven lately. MC needed an excuse to go out something fierce. Little did Koujaku know, he gave her that excuse. And she couldn’t be more grateful for it.

Although, much like any other time an event had come up, MC got herself ready with Saeran sitting next to her. For whatever reason, he always loved to watch. With every single swipe of a makeup brush or twist of her straightener, Saeran was completely mesmerized by her movements. Why? A team of researchers may never know. Saeran liked seeing her process and her concentration. Along with the end result.

“You already look amazing, MC,” Saeran laid down in the bottom of the bathtub with not a drop of water in it, “What more could you possibly do?”

“First of all,” MC dug around her makeup bag for a particular light pink lipgloss she liked to bring out for occasions like this, “Thank you, Saeran. I’m flattered.”

“I try.”

“Let me guess,” she assumed, grabbing one more thing. Only it wasn’t for her, “You’re looking for my liquid eyeliner, aren’t you?”

“I might be,” Saeran admitted, “What of it?”

“Here,” MC tossed him her good liquid eyeliner. There were some things she was totally ok taking the cheap route with. Her makeup was not one of those things. Saeran knew she had the good shit.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she moved over a little, giving Saeran some space at the vanity. 

“Your lipgloss smells like bubblegum,” Saeran pointed out, carefully drawing a line across his eyelid, “What are you, twelve?”

“Only on a scale from one to ten,” MC checked herself over in the mirror. The bright white dress, the black heels, the pink lips. She made herself swoon, “Hot damn…I miss doing this.”

“You look cute, MC,” he smiled a little, “A little vain for my tastes, but some people can pull that off.”

“You’re just jealous,” she kissed his cheek, “What about you? Do you have this handled?”

“I’ve been doing my eyeliner for a while now,” Saeran assured, “I think I can manage. About tonight, though…”

“What’s up?” MC jumped up and sat on the vanity, her legs dangling over the edge.

“What are these guys like?” he wondered, smudging his work, “Dammit!”

“It’s alright, Saeran,” she settled him before he could get too worked up. It didn’t take much to set Saeran off and that scared the hell out of her. Instead, she slid her remover wipes across the vanity, “As far as our new friends are concerned, Aoba’s a good dude. He and I bonded over your brother’s excitable tendencies shortly after we got to Midorijima.”

“What brought that on?”

“He was looking at broken bits of times long past,” MC remembered, a little smile creeping across her face, “It was like seeing the Island of Misfit Toys, but a hell of a lot less depressing. The shop Aoba works at sells spare parts for just about anything and the occasional bit of retro technology. Seven could hardly contain himself.”

“Saeyoung never was known for being the quiet one,” Saeran agreed, “What about the other guy? The one we met in the lobby. I was only half assed listening when he was screwing with Zen.”

“That’s Koujaku,” she sighed out, “Koujaku’s something else.”

“He sounds like it,” he jabbed, “Just don’t get that something else on the counter. Would you like a moment alone and a cold shower?”

“You saw him!” MC squeaked, “You were there! And when Seven and I were here the first time around, he caught me on a bad night.”

“Wait,” Saeran put MC’s eyeliner down, “I thought you said you had smooth sailing when you were here last.”

“We all have our bad nights, Saeran,” she stared down at the bows on the toes of her heels, “Your brother was no exception. It was shortly after Mai-Ling got hacked. Seven wasn’t in a good place either. He was wrist deep in Mai-Ling’s circuits, doing his best to fix her, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to help him. So, I went outside and Koujaku was a balcony down from us, smoking a cigarette, and he let me vent. When I saw him the next morning, I damn near shit myself. I didn’t expect that voice to come out of…_that. _Like I said, you saw him. You know what he looks like. You know how gorgeous he is.”

“Be that as it may,” he brushed her off, “What about the other guy? The hacker. Noiz.”

“Noiz…” MC thought for a moment or two, “In a way, Noiz kind of reminds me of you and Seven. If you and Seven were never twins and formed into one body, that body would be Noiz. I have no doubt about it. Yeah, he has his moments where he’s kind of a dick.”

“Kind of like when he hacked into the RFA?”

“You hacked into the RFA once, too, Saeran,” she retaliated, “See? I told you he reminds me of you and Seven.”

“What about now?” Saeran wondered, “Can we trust him?”

That was a loaded question MC didn’t know how to answer, “We don’t have a choice. At this point, we kind of have to. He has all the information we need. Tonight won’t be anything you can’t handle. I promise.”

“Can I leave early?”

“If you need to,” she allowed, “But before you bail at random, at least let me know about it first.”

“Ok,” Saeran laid his head on MC’s shoulder, reveling in the comfort it brought him, “Are you ready yet, MC?”

“Don’t I look ready?” MC jumped down from the counter, giving him a little spin, “I’d say I look pretty damn good.”

“You do,” he nodded, “Good.”

“In that case,” she took her eyeliner back and put it in her bag, “Should we get the other two or should we leave them here to wax philosophic some more?”

“I’m all for leaving Saeyoung and V behind,” Saeran insisted, “Can we do that? And then, hop a flight home?”

“Come on, Saeran,” MC wrapped her arms around him, “The adventure can do some good for you. Hell, it can for all of us. Don’t be so bitter.”

“It’s part of my personality,” he kissed the top of her head, “Have you just met me?”

“Let’s go get the other two,” she took his hand and dragged him out of the bathroom, “Hey, guys? Are you…?”

Seven let out the loudest, most ear-piercing wolf whistle, setting off any dogs that may have been in or around the building, “Wow, MC. What’s the occasion you’re a mega babe beyond all belief?”

“You know as well as I do,” MC could already feel the heat rising in her face, “what we’re going to tonight. I am more than capable of stepping up when I need to. You know that better than anyone else here.”

“Would you look at that, though?” Seven threw his arms around MC’s waist, “My fake wife is so cute. Why does she have to go and be so cute? She’s going to give the rest of us a complex.”

“Do you mind?” she held back a little giggle, “V, can you call him off please?”

“Luciel,” V ordered, “Let her go. No means no.”

“But V…” Seven whined, “She’s so cute!”

“She’s also a person with thoughts and feelings,” V argued, “And she has every right to establish boundaries. If you’re making her uncomfortable, you need to back off.”

“You just want MC all to yourself,” Seven teased, “Admit it!”

“You caught me,” V stuck his hand out into the air, waiting for MC to take it, “Are you ready, MC?”

  
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” MC confirmed, “What about you?”

“I’m ready whenever you are,” he kept a firm hold on her hand, letting her guide him. 

“Seven, Saeran,” MC nodded toward the door, “Come on. Let’s go.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Seven gave her a little salute.

“Whatever…” Saeran didn’t have his brother’s enthusiasm. Although, he did have a certain bulge in his pocket that made MC stop him at the door, “What the hell, MC? What was that all about?”

“Give it to me,” MC stuck her free hand out.

“Right here?” Saeran smirked, “MC, I never took you for an exhibitionistic type.”

“Cut the shit, Saeran,” MC wasn’t having it, “I know what you have. Give.”

“Fine!” he groaned, pulling a Nintendo 3DS out of his pocket, “I wasn’t going to play it at the table. Just when things got boring.”

“Is this all you brought?” she asked.

“Yes, Mom,” Saeran rolled his eyes with an ace up his sleeve.

“Give me the Switch, too.”

“Dammit!” Saeran pulled the Nintendo Switch out of his other pocket.

“What else do you have on you, Saeran?” MC asked, “And I’d appreciate some honesty.”

“Just my phone,” he swore, “I don’t have anything else on me. No Game Boys of any generation. No Switch. No PSP.”

“Alright,” she let his phone slide, fully aware he didn’t have anything for games on it. The RFA chatroom, a couple of calming apps for when he gets a little uneasy, and an ambience app for when he goes to sleep, “The game systems stay here.”

“Fine,” Saeran leaned against the wall, “Saeyoung has a DS in his pocket, too.”

“What the hell, Saeran?” Seven whined.

“If I’m going down,” Saeran glared a hole through his brother, “You better believe I’m dragging your ass down with me.”

“Seven…” MC stuck her hand out, “You, too. If Saeran has to give his up, so do you.”

“Alright,” Seven put his 3DS on the dresser, “But if we’re really going to be fair across the board, Yoosung brought his PSP. He downloaded LOLOL onto it before the trip.”

“And I’ll be sure to grab that, too,” she assured, “Come on. Let’s go.”

Seven and Saeran got a little further ahead while MC and V stayed back. V couldn’t help but laugh a little to himself, “You really do mother those two, don’t you, MC?”

“I do my best,” MC confessed, “I don’t try to. It’s just something that comes natural to me. Especially with Seven and Saeran. I don’t understand it.”

“Maybe,” V thought, “It’s because you know what they’ve been through and you don’t want them to ever suffer that kind of pain again. It’s the same reason why you treat me the way you do.”

“That’s mostly for your own personal safety,” she pointed out, “But you might have a point. What can I say? I got a soft spot in my heart for the beaten.”

“And I thank you for it,” he put an arm around her, his heart swelling, “I hope tonight goes over well, MC. Really, I do.”

  
“Me, too,” MC nestled her head into V’s chest, leading him into the elevator with Seven and Saeran.

“Wait!” a familiar voice screeched down the hall, “Hold the elevator!”

“Hurry up, Yoosung!” MC yelled to him, “We’re going to be late!”

“I lost track of time,” Yoosung made it into the elevator just before the doors closed, “I got a little tied up in a match and…You know how that goes.”

“Speaking of how that goes,” MC put out her hand once more, “Give me your PSP.”

“What?” Yoosung squeaked, “Why? How did you even know I’d have it?”

“Do you have it on you?” she asked.

“No,” he started to sweat, “I left it in the room.”

“Yoosung,” MC let out a heavy, exasperated sigh, “I know you. I know how game addicted you are. Give me your PSP.”

“Who told you?” Yoosung dug in his inside jacket pocket, pulling out his PSP.

“Guess,” MC slid it into her purse.

“Seven!” Yoosung pouted.

“Don’t feel bad, Yoosung,” Saeran gave him a pop to the shoulder, “I sold him out, too. We’re all on the same sinking ship.”

MC, V, and their children met Jumin, Jaehee, and Zen downstairs and left for the restaurant Koujaku was so kind to pick for them. According to local critics, it was one of the best places in town. Seven did a little research while he was waiting for MC and Saeran to finish getting ready. By the time they got there, Koujaku and Aoba were waiting at their giant circle table, along with someone MC and Seven had never seen before. And the gas mask covering their face didn’t exactly set them at ease.

“MC!” Koujaku threw his arms around her, “My God, look at you…”

“Thank you,” MC knew that was a compliment and gladly accepted.

“Koujaku,” Jumin chimed in, just as curious as everyone else at the table, “What’s with the guy in the gas mask?”

“It’s a comfortability thing,” Aoba explained, “It’s alright, Clear. Promise. Your face hasn’t gone anywhere. It hasn’t changed since the last time I saw it.”

“Promise?” a soft, gentle voice came out of the gas mask, warming MC’s heart to no end. _Oh, sweetheart, let me love you. _

“I promise,” Aoba carefully reached up and undid the buckles in the back, “I’m sorry about this, MC. Please understand. Clear isn’t…Exactly…”

“I understand completely,” MC allowed, “We have one of them, too, Aoba. You don’t need to make excuses.”

“Ok,” Aoba settled, taking Clear’s mask off for him, “There you are, Clear. It’s nice to see you.”

“Everything’s still there?” Clear worried, only making MC want to love him more, “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive,” Aoba swore, “Everyone, this is Clear. Clear, these are the people who run the organization that Noiz hacked.”

“Then,” Clear took a look around, his eyes falling on the lovely young lady in front of him, “Excuse me, but are you MC?”

“I am,” MC nodded, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Clear.”

“MC!” Clear’s face lit up, “I’ve heard all about you from Aoba-san! And about your Allmate! Did you bring her with?”

“We didn’t,” MC shook her head, “Mai-Ling is asleep right now. She had a long flight and taking her out in her condition would be too hard on her. You can meet her some other time.”

“Speaking of our Allmate,” Seven noticed, “And her condition, where’s Noiz? I thought you said he’d be coming tonight, Koujaku.”

“He said he was coming,” Koujaku checked his texts.

“I haven’t heard anything from him,” Aoba did the same, scrolling through his past messages, “You did tell him eight, right, Koujaku?”

“Of course I did,” Koujaku assured him, “He’s probably just running late.”

“Who’s running late?” Speak of the devil. Noiz sat down on the other side of Koujaku.

“My God,” Seven let out a little gasp, leaning over to Yoosung, “He’s like summoning Beetlejuice.”

“Uh-huh…” Yoosung was mentally not available. Please leave a message after the beep.

“Hi, Noiz,” MC smiled sweetly like she always did.

“Hi, MC,” Noiz gave her a nod, “Seven…”

“What took you so long?” Koujaku asked, “Caught up in traffic?”

“I had to check in with the team,” Noiz told him, only making Yoosung that much more unable to sit still, “So, I know two people at this table other than you, Aoba, and Clear. I can only assume the guy in the glasses is V.”

“That’s right,” V nodded.

“Who are the rest of you?” Noiz wondered, making himself comfortable.

“Well,” Seven began, “On my left, we have my delightful brother Saeran, who also hacked his way into the RFA and into our hearts.”

“Dial it back, Saeyoung,” Saeran begged.

“Good,” Noiz relaxed some more, “For a second, I thought I was losing it. There are two of you.”

“To my right,” Seven went on, putting his hand on Yoosung’s shoulder, “Yoosung…? Yooooosung? Are you in there, buddy?”

Yoosung could hardly form words. His mind was never really a wealth of information to begin with. However, now more than ever before, his mind had gone completely blank. MC gave him a little nudge under the table, “Yoosung? Are you ok, sweetie?”

“I can see it in his catatonic eyes, MC,” Seven figured it out, “Yoosung’s gone blue screen. He is a walking 404 error.”

“You…” Yoosung’s voice shook as his heart nearly jumped out of his chest, “You, you, you’re…Seven…That’s…”

“Now, I understand what you were saying earlier, MC,” Koujaku teased, “You really do have your own Clear.”

“It’s ok, Yoosung,” MC tried to calm him down as much as she could, “He’s just a person. I’m sorry, Noiz. He’s a big fan.”

“I can tell,” Noiz looked him over. _Oh, yeah. This guy is a few fries and a toy short of a Happy Meal, _“If you could get him to stop staring, that’d be fantastic. It’s starting to weird me out.”

“Sorry,” Yoosung stared down at the table, “Please forgive me.”

“What are we all doing here anyway?” Noiz blew off Yoosung entirely, “I have other things I could be doing tonight.”

“We need to find your client,” Jumin stepped in.

“Have you had any luck getting a hold of them, Noiz?” MC wondered.

“Kind of,” Noiz reported, “I asked if I could be paid in person.”

“And?” Seven crossed his fingers, “What’d they say?”

“That’s a pending request,” Noiz sighed out, “If my bank account goes up in the next couple days, I’ll know the answer was a resounding no.”

“What do we do if that happens?” Zen asked.

“Back to square one,” V figured, “We’ll have to find another way. Which is one of the main reasons why you came with us, Zen. I’m sure undercover work would come easy for you.”

“Absolutely,” Zen nodded, “And, well, people do respond better to a pretty face.”

“Then, you’d have better luck sending in MC,” Koujaku started him back up again.

“You know what?” Zen got up from the table, a hundred percent ready to throw hands with Koujaku.

“Zen, sit your ass back down,” MC demanded.

“Yes, ma’am,” Zen did exactly as she asked, knowing better than to piss her off.

“Wow, MC,” Clear awed, “How’d you do that?”

“I’ve been around these guys long enough,” she smiled, “They all will listen to me in some capacity.”

“MC’s mom voice strikes again,” Seven gushed.

“Is it even really a good idea for me to be out with you guys?” Noiz thought, “God only knows who’s watching me or if I’m being watched at all. Granted, neither one of us know what the other’s face looks like, but I also have a reputation.”

“You should be ok,” V assured, “Although, I can’t help but be curious. Why did you agree to come out with us tonight, Noiz?”

“Because I’m hungry,” Noiz shrugged, “And I had some time to kill in Midorijima before I head out to Germany again, so…”

“How long are you in town, Noiz?” Aoba wondered.

“Another few days,” Noiz figured.

“About that,” MC wondered, “When Seven and I traced your IP here, it said the accountholder was a company in Germany. Bruderschaft, I think it was called.”

“Yeah,” Noiz nodded, “That’s my little brother’s company. Occasionally, I do busy work for him. What about it?”

“Why were you hiding there?” Jaehee asked.

“Because it was the easiest,” Noiz admitted, “No one would ever know if I, personally, was in either Japan or Germany. You guys just happened to catch me in Japan again.”

“How often do you float between them?” MC started piecing things together in her head. _So, the company’s out of the question. Not even in play. Good to know. _

“Once or twice a month,” Noiz thought, “Like I said, my little brother likes to keep me busy. He says it’s his way of taking care of me, but I’ve always told him I didn’t need it. It is nice to go home and see him, though.”

“I didn’t think you were Japanese,” MC assumed, “You’re German.”

“Last time I checked,” he confirmed, “But like I said, I had some time to kill in Midorijima before I go back. What else am I going to do?”

“You could play a game of Rhyme,” Yoosung suggested, not quite coming out of his skin anymore. 

“Why?” Seven grumbled, “So he can infect Mai-Ling again?”

“No, no, no,” Noiz promised, “If it were you and me, Seven, I promise it’d be a clean match. But if that were to be traced, my client would be able to find me. I have no doubt. So, unfortunately, we’ll have to avoid each other like the plague while you’re here. A Rhyme match would be too risky.”

“I heard about this one place,” Zen remembered, “It’s somewhere in the North District. Platinum Jail, I think.”

“No.” Aoba, Koujaku, Clear, and Noiz had a firm stance on that one. 

“Alright then,” Zen backed off, figuring there had to be a personal reason. 

“They can’t make us go back to Platinum Jail,” Clear’s eyes swelled with tears as he grabbed Aoba’s arm, “Right, Master?”

“We’re not going back to Platinum Jail, Clear,” Aoba promised, “We’re ok.”

“Ok…”

“Well then,” Seven decided, “Saeran and I can watch the monitors, so you guys are going to have to go play without us.”

“What do you say, MC?” Koujaku offered, “Care to go out and play in town tomorrow?”

“That sounds like fun,” MC beamed, shooting a quick glance to her right, “Hey, Jumin?”

“Yes, MC?” Jumin asked, “What can I do for you?”

“Do you think I could borrow your assistant?” she caught Jaehee smiling out of the corner of her eye, “I might need her for a thing or two.”

“Go ahead,” Jumin allowed, “I can let you borrow Assistant Kang for a couple hours. That’s fine by me.”

“Thank you,” MC gave Jaehee a quick wink while her boss wasn’t looking. She knew exactly what she was doing. Not only did MC have Jumin occasionally wrapped around her little finger, but she was also going to give Jaehee the day off she desperately needed. _Jumin works the poor thing to the bone. She deserves a little bit of fun, too. Especially since we got a change of scenery. _

“Well then,” Koujaku decided, “We’ll meet in the lobby tomorrow morning? Sound like a plan?”

“Absolutely!” _To think I was all worried about this trip. Maybe the distraction is exactly what I need. What we need. _


	16. Local Celebrity

The next morning, MC woke up with her boss wrapped around her waist, not wanting to let her go. _You had a hard night last night, didn’t you, V? _The bruise on her shin certainly was proof of that. _I can’t leave V alone today. God only knows what his problem was. This whole mess must be bringing bad memories back to the surface. I know we don’t talk about Rika much, but that’s your past. You’ve changed so much since then. You’ve come so far. Don’t start backsliding now. _But then, MC remembered she had a date with her friends in Midorijima today. Although, her priorities kicked in. _I’ll just tell Koujaku I can’t make it. I’m sure he’ll understand._

“Mmm…” V rolled over, burying his face in MC’s belly. _So much for getting up, _“Good morning, MC.”

“Good morning,” MC cradled him against her, “Are you alright, V?”

“I’ve been better,” he blinked a few times, the world in front of him completely dark, “But I’ll manage. How are you?”

“Fine, I guess,” she kept his restless leg syndrome and her bruise to herself, “Are you sure you’re ok?”

“Yes,” V nodded, “I’m fine. Are you going out today?”

“I don’t know,” MC thought it over, “Maybe I should stick around the hotel today.”

“No,” he shot her down, “Go ahead, MC. Go out and see more of Midorijima. I have plenty to do here anyway.”

“Are you sure?” she winced, “I’m sure this trip is hard on you.”

“Always so concerned about me,” V hugged her tight, “I appreciate the sentiment, MC, but really, I’ll be fine.”

MC didn’t like the thought of V being alone in an unknown place, but she knew there was no way in hell he’d let up on her staying so close when the opportunity to see the world was out in front of her, “I’ll go out today on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“I leave you with Jumin,” MC knew Jumin could watch over V just as well as she could. It wasn’t just the fact that they knew each other better than anyone else. Jumin worried about V the same way MC did, “And you don’t leave his side.”

“He’s going to need someone for a sounding board,” V pointed out, “Since you’re taking Jaehee along with you, if I remember correctly.

“I am,” she confirmed, “Jaehee finally gets a day off.”

“So do you,” V felt around for MC’s face and gently kissed her cheek, “I’ll be fine. Promise.”

“Good,” MC hugged him tight, “And promise me you’ll check in once in a while, too.”

“I promise,” he stuck out his pinky for MC to link it with her own, “You don’t need to worry about me, MC. Go out and have a good time. I’ll let you know if anything happens here.”

“Ok,” she pushed herself out of bed, “Do you need me for anything as of right now?”

“Not right now,” V let her go, “But thank you.”

MC was still worried. V’s words were somewhat a comfort, but deep down, she knew there was something bothering him. He just wasn’t up to wearing his heart on his sleeve. Although, she knew he’d be with Jumin for the day on the off chance that he needed to vent. Jumin would listen. He’d always listen to V and V to him. And in a strange way, MC was grateful for that. There were things that would come out of V’s mouth and go completely over her head. However, that wasn’t always the case with Jumin. He’d understand him.

Knock, knock.

“Oh…” Jumin answered his door, “Good morning, MC.”

“Good morning, Jumin,” MC peeked in the room, “Is Jaehee ready yet?”

“I’m not sure,” he shrugged, “I don’t keep tabs on her off the clock. If you don’t mind me asking, is there a reason why you brought V along? I thought you said you were going to be minding the activity today.”

“I’m going to be out and about in town,” she explained.

“MC doesn’t want me to be alone,” V took over, “So, she brought me here.”

“Understandable,” Jumin let it go, “But shouldn’t we be in Seven and Saeran’s room?”

“I kind of wanted to slip out under the radar,” MC bit the inside of her cheek, “Seven and Saeran have work to do. Yoosung would likely use my connection with Noiz to get closer to him. Zen said he was staying in the room today because he would, and I quote, rather run Koujaku through than deal with him.”

“I like Koujaku,” Jumin’s face lit up, “He makes Zen squirm.”

“We know, sir,” Jaehee came out with her bag on her shoulder and dressed in a light cardigan and a pencil skirt, “Are we leaving now, MC?”

“Yep,” MC nodded, “Play nice, boys. We should be back in a little while.”

“Ok,” V sent her off and joined Jumin in his suite (because heaven forbid Jumin Han lives in hotel squalor). 

“Is everything alright, V?” Jumin wondered, noticing something off.

“It’s nothing,” V let out a heavy sigh, “Jumin…”

“What?”

“Do you ever get the feeling…” he thought, “Like we’ve been here before?”

“What do you mean?” Jumin asked, “I don’t think any of us, outside of Seven and MC, have been here before.”

“Not place, Jumin,” V clarified, “Position. Or am I just having a bad experience with déjà vu?”

“I’m thinking it’s déjà vu,” Jumin dropped it, “You’re thinking she has something to do with this, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know,” V slid down in his chair, “I just…It’s not a good feeling.”

Meanwhile, MC and Jaehee headed down the hallway and toward the elevator. Not only had it been since the beginning of creation that Jaehee had a day off, but MC, too. Although, Jaehee’s situation was vastly different. V always told MC since she became his assistant that he never wanted to work her into the ground like Jumin did with Jaehee. However, MC’s work ethic and strong heart were what betrayed her the most. She couldn’t say no to V. It didn’t matter what it was for. She could walk a tightrope for that man and would in a heartbeat if he asked. Even when she left for Midorijima the first time around, MC felt uneasy. Because she wasn’t the one there for him. But she had someone that needed her then, too. Some may call it a character flaw, but MC called it being who she was meant to be.

“Wait!” a sweet little voice squeaked down the hallway, “MC! Wait! Hold the elevator!”

“Mai-Ling?” MC put her hand to the floor, letting the little panda scale her arm, “What are you doing here? I thought you were going to help Seven today.”

“Sentimentality is in my programming,” Mai-Ling made herself comfortable on MC’s shoulders, “This was where I was born. And where we first met! I want to come with you today.”

“I’m not going to turn you away,” MC hugged her tight, “Of course you can come with us. That’s ok with you, isn’t it, Jaehee?”

“Of course,” Jaehee scratched the top of Mai-Ling’s head, having grown a soft spot for her. MC let out a little giggle, “What’s that all about?”

“Nothing,” MC kept it to herself. _I wonder if Jaehee would love Mai-Ling the same way if she knew Seven wanted her to be an exact replica of Jumin’s cat. _

“Where are we going first, MC?” Mai-Ling wondered.

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “I’ve only been to Midorijima once. I’m just glad we’ll have guides with us.”

“I can be a guide, too!” Mai-Ling pointed out, “I have GPS capabilities and can download a map of Midorijima in .34 seconds.”

“Excitable little thing you are this morning,” MC played with Mai-Ling’s toes, “Are you going to be alright today, Jaehee?”

“What?” MC’s question caught Jaehee off guard, “What do you mean, am I going to be alright?”

“Well,” MC teased her, “We are going to be spending the day with Koujaku. And you did damn near have a nosebleed of epic proportions when you two met, so…”

“Oh, come on,” Jaehee squeaked, “That’s not fair, MC. That was initial reaction. I’ll be fine!”

“I’m just screwing with you, Jaehee,” MC giggled, “Relax. You don’t have to deal with Jumin today. You don’t have to deal with Elizabeth III today. It’s just you, me, and Mai-Ling makes three. But then, we’ll also be meeting up with Koujaku and Clear and Aoba and possibly Noiz in the lobby.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Jaehee allowed, “But for the sake of my sanity today and because it’s my one day off in…Well, we just won’t talk about how long it’s been…But can we not mention Mr. Han or his furry monster for the day?”

“Ok,” MC nodded, “That’s fine.”

“It’s been a long time since we got to hang out like this, MC,” Jaehee pointed out, “How have you been?”

“Tired,” she admitted, leaning against the back wall of the elevator, “Very, very tired.”

“I feel your pain,” Jaehee took her hand, “But you probably have it just as bad, if not worse, than I do.”

_It’s worse. It’s so much worse. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I’d be happy to do it again and again and again. But…It does get tiring, _“You try being the glue that holds the RFA together.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jaehee empathized, “Is V really working you that hard?”

“That is a man I have to save from himself on a regular basis,” she vented, “In more ways than one. I’ve never seen someone bruise as easily as what V does. Fortunately, he does have a relative idea of where everything is, though, so I can leave him alone for periods at a time. But I’ve also helped him sleep at night. I’ve kept him from sleeping all night in his recliner. If he wakes up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep, he calls me and I’m usually right over. I know I sound like I’m complaining. I’m happy to do it, but it does take its toll once in a while.”

“I understand,” Jaehee held MC up, making sure she didn’t lose her balance, “But I’ve never seen V take to someone as quickly and effortlessly as he did to you. Except for maybe…”

She stopped herself, knowing her next words could’ve been considered blasphemy or even treason. Instantly, Jaehee bit the inside of her cheek. And in that moment, MC knew, “You were going to say Rika, weren’t you?”

“I hate to say it, MC,” Jaehee confessed, “But it’s true.”

“You sound like Yoosung,” MC put on a fake smile, hiding the ache in her chest. She knew what Rika did and she knew the guilt she put on V for it. And even in death, she still found a way to get under his skin.

  
“Not my intention,” she assured, watching the elevator doors empty into the lobby, “Forgive me.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Jaehee,” MC settled her, “It’s not like you wished Rika on him. We’re all bound to remind someone of someone else eventually. Now, can we put this awkwardness behind us and go play? It’s nice to have a day off and I’d hate to spend it miserable.”

“Absolutely,” Jaehee shook it off, ready for what the rest of the day had for them. Particularly one of their traveling companions. Honestly, though, no one could blame her. 

“MC!” Koujaku accepted her with open arms, “A pleasure as always.”

“Hi,” MC did a quick headcount, “No Aoba?”

“No,” Koujaku shook his head, “He had to work. But I did bring Clear along. He wouldn’t let up about it.”

“Hi, Clear,” MC hugged him, too. Because…Well…She had grown a soft spot for Clear.

“Hi, MC!” Clear chimed, his voice muffled by his gas mask, “Hi, Jaehee!”

“Hello, Clear,” Jaehee smiled sweetly, trying her best to avoid eye contact with Koujaku. _He’s like staring into the sun and a welder’s helmet wouldn’t even put a dent in it._

“Hello, Jaehee,” Koujaku greeted her, sending Jaehee into a minor whirlwind of emotions she immediately began suppressing.

“Hello…” she could hardly speak. And again, no one could blame her.

“So,” Clear took Mai-Ling off MC’s shoulders, playing with her toes, “What are we going to do today?”

“Is this everyone for today?” Koujaku wondered, doing his own headcount.

“Jumin’s babysitting V,” MC explained, “Yoosung’s likely helping Seven and Saeran. From what I understand, Noiz is going to be coming sometime this afternoon to help them. So, it’s just the four…”

“Five!” Mai-Ling squeaked.

“Five of us,” MC corrected herself, “Sorry, Mai-Ling.”

“What about the other pretty one?” Koujaku asked.

“You have to be more specific,” MC insisted, “Because all of my boys are pretty in their own way.”

“You’re such a mom, MC,” Koujaku laughed, “But Zen. Is he not coming out with us?”

“No,” Jaehee reported, “Zen said he’s staying in his room today. He’s still tired after our flight.”

“I’m sure that was his excuse,” Koujaku nodded, “He’s jealous.”

“What do you mean?” Clear wondered, his innocence getting the better of him.

“Well, Clear,” Koujaku awed, “It’s very simple. Zen realized he wasn’t the only star in the sky anymore and that pissed him off. That anger is what we call jealousy. His ego is one of the most fragile things I’ve ever seen.”

“There’s a reason for that,” MC winced, knowing exactly why Zen was the way he was, “But that’s something you’d have to ask him. And that’s not information he divulges to everyone. But it’s weird. You’ve only met Zen once and you already have him pegged.”

“Only if he’d let me,” Koujaku smirked, a little glint sparkling in his eye, “And if Aoba was cool with it.”

“Alright then,” Jaehee turned a bright shade of red, “Shall we then?”

“Let’s go!” MC knew where Koujaku was going with that. But she doubted Zen would be very casual about it. _Koujaku’s cute, but he’s not Jumin. _

And so, MC, Jaehee, Clear, Koujaku, and Mai-Ling left the hotel in search of what Midorijima had to offer. Unfortunately, for Clear and Koujaku’s sake, they had to avoid Platinum Jail. MC had heard about it from a friend of hers back home and that it was one of the most incredible places she had ever been. It made MC curious, though. What made Platinum Jail such a hard limit for Clear and Koujaku? Not just Clear and Koujaku, but Noiz and Aoba, too. Maybe Platinum Jail was their Rika. Or one of them went on the roller coaster a time too many (MC’s money was on Clear) and the people below didn’t realize they were in a splash zone. Either or, she figured it’d be best not to bring it up.

“You know, MC,” Koujaku’s charm knew no limits, “You know what would be fun? And I’m sure Clear and Jaehee would be more than happy to help.”

“What?” MC got the same butterflies in her stomach Jaehee got around Koujaku. Although, she figured after her first time seeing him, those butterflies would soon go away and never come back. 

“I’d love to make you my doll for the day…”

“No,” MC put her foot down, her head filled with sudden flashbacks of the last time that happened. Jumin’s tailor was ruthless, “Not happening.”

“Yeah,” Koujaku put his hand up to MC’s cheek, cradling her face in the palm of her hand, putting her completely at ease, “Those big, pretty eyes, the cute, little body, the long, flowy hair…May I?”

“Go ahead,” MC allowed, “It’s been a couple days since I last washed it, though.”

“That’s fine,” Koujaku allowed, running his fingers through MC’s hair, “I don’t mind. Please forgive me. The profession gets in the way sometimes. I used to do this with Aoba all the time, too. He’d get really mad at me. But you’re so pretty, MC. And you, too, Jaehee.”

“Excuse me?” Jaehee’s stomach dropped, “What was that?”

“I said…” Koujaku turned his attention to Jaehee. All of his attention, “You’re also a beautiful creature, Jaehee. I can see it in those deep, tired eyes of yours. I believe that women are truly God’s gift to this world and should be treated as no less. All that hard work in your eyes shows all over your face.”

“How can you tell all that?” Jaehee swooned, trying to fight it. However, Koujaku’s certain brand of charm has been tried and true to be completely irresistible.

“I can see those dark circles under your concealer,” Koujaku put the back of her hand up to his lips, “It’s Jumin, isn’t it? When he’s not around, you seem so much more relaxed. Someone needs to love you, Jaehee, and I’m assuming Jumin won’t be the one to do it.”

“Oh, God, I hope not!” Jaehee squeaked, snapping out of the euphoric web Koujaku weaved around her, “Mr. Han and I are strictly professional! I would never even give that a thought!”

“Alright,” Koujaku dropped it, “Just thought I’d ask. But I wasn’t joking when I said someone needed to love you, Jaehee.”

“I…” Jaehee wasn’t sure what to think about Koujaku. But she still had a hard time making eye contact with him. _Don’t give in, Jaehee. Don’t you do it. But…He’s so…It’s struggle, _“I’m sure plenty of people love me.”

“Well,” Koujaku decided, “Someone needs to love you a little extra. I don’t see anyone volunteering, so it looks like I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands.”

“Hey, Clear,” MC asked, “Do you know of anywhere that has good bubble tea?”

“I do!” Clear chirped.

“We’re going to get bubble tea,” MC put a hand on Jaehee’s shoulder, keeping her voice down, “Relax, Jaehee. He’s just a person. If he gets to be too much to handle, call me and I’ll come rescue you.”

“Ok,” Jaehee took slow, deep breaths, doing her best to calm down.

“And if all else fails,” MC moved closer to Koujaku, “You’re a black belt, right, Jaehee?”

“I don’t like to brag…” Jaehee hid a proud smile. _Thank you, MC. If all else fails, I’m my own protection detail._

“You kids have fun,” MC waved behind her, “Come on, Clear.”

“Coming!” Clear followed MC halfway down the block, “Hey, MC?’

  
“Yes, Clear?”

“What just happened?” he wondered.

“Yeah,” Mai-Ling chimed in, “I’m lost, too.”

“You were sick when I first met Koujaku, Mai-Ling,” MC held the little panda against her chest, “He used the same charm on me that he just laid on Jaehee. We can leave them be for the day. They should be fine.”

“Why?” Clear took MC down the next block.

“Koujaku was right,” she sighed, “I love Jumin to death, but I know he keeps her on edge all the time.”

“Why doesn’t Jaehee leave him?” Clear wasn’t quite understanding their dynamic.

“She needs the job,” MC shrugged, “I have no doubt that Jumin pays her well. Or I hope he does. Jaehee needs the day off and I really and truly believe some time with Koujaku will do her some good.”

“Ok!” he let it go, “Can we get some boba now?”

“Absolutely,” MC took Clear’s hand and walked just a bit further to one of the oldest cafés the Old Residential District had to offer. Clear had gone here once with Aoba and fell in love with it. He knew MC would love it, too.

“What would you like, MC?” Clear asked, “I’ll get tea for both of us.”

“You don’t have to do that, Clear,” MC awed, melting inside.

“I want to,” he insisted, “It’s like Koujaku said. You deserved to be treated like the gift you are, too. So, what’s your regular boba order?”

“Matcha and dragonfruit,” MC ordered. _The kid’s got game. Or secondhand game from Koujaku, _“With almond…no…coconut milk.”

“Ok!” Clear agreed, “Why don’t you find a table for us on the roof?”

“This place has rooftop seating?” she beamed, a sudden feeling of giddiness overcoming her.

“Up the stairs,” he directed her to a narrow staircase tucked away in the back corner.

“Ok,” MC and Mai-Ling headed up to the roof where a sprawling and colorful garden hid with a few wrought iron tables sprinkled in.

“It’s so peaceful up here,” Mai-Ling took in the view.

“Yes, it is,” MC nodded, finding a table for her and Clear, “How are you feeling, Mai-Ling? You doing ok?”

“I am a little tired…”

“Why don’t you go to sleep mode for a little while?” MC allowed, “I can handle things with Clear on my own.”

“Ok,” Mai-Ling balled up in MC’s lap, making herself comfortable. Because God knows Mai-Ling is never one to shy away from a nap, “Engaging sleep mode…”

MC kissed the top of Mai-Ling’s head. _Sleep mode well, sweetheart. _A few minutes later, Clear had come up with a pair of plastic cups full of bubble tea, “Here, MC.”

“Thank you, Clear,” MC hardly spoke above a whisper, “Keep it down, though. I just put the baby down for a nap.”

“Sorry,” Clear whispered, “I didn’t know Mai-Ling took naps.”

“Regularly,” she nodded, “Of all the traits she could get, Mai-Ling gets lazy and sleepy. That’s ok, though. We still love her. Look at that little face. It’s hard not to.”

“I fully understand,” he scratched the top of her head.

“You know, Clear,” MC reached up for the straps on his gas mask, “It’d be nice if I could see your face, too. It wouldn’t be the first time. And it’s such a cute little face.”

“I don’t know, MC,” Clear got skittish. Like a cornered baby deer, “Are you sure?”

“I’m positive,” she undid one buckle, then two. Slowly, but surely, MC pulled Clear’s mask off, “See? Just as cute as I remember it.”

“You don’t mean that,” he blushed, smiling a little at her compliment.

“Of course I do,” MC promised, kissing his cheek, “I have no reason to lie to you.”

“Thank you,” Clear’s smile only got bigger. And MC’s heart became a bigger puddle, “When will you be back in Midorijima, MC?”

“Back?” MC giggled, “I haven’t left yet. Are you already trying to get rid of me?”

“Oh, no,” he shook his head, “I wouldn’t do that. I’m just curious. After you leave and go back home again, how long will it be until we see you?”

“Well,” she thought it over, “It depends. I could be here for a while. We could run into more problems with Noiz’s client. We could get more work while we’re here. It just depends on how long we’re still here for. Or how well this goes off. If we walk away from this with a bad experience, the likelihood of us coming back drops exponentially.”

“Don’t go away forever,” Clear begged, “Because…I like you, MC. And I like Mai-Ling. And I like Jaehee. And I like Seven and Yoosung and Zen and Jumin and V. Sitting with all of you at dinner last night made me so happy. And I don’t want that to go away so soon.”

“I like you, too, Clear,” MC took his hand, getting him to settle down, “And I know if Mai-Ling were awake right now, she’d say she liked you, too.”

“Mmm…” Mai-Ling shifted around in MC’s lap, her eyes slowly opening, “MC…You’re getting a call.”

“Really?” MC dug her phone out of her bag. Sure enough, a familiar face lit up her screen, “Hello, fake husband.”

“Hello, fake wife,” Seven chirped on the other end, “Are you doing ok?”

“Aces,” MC assured, “Why? Your radar up?”

“No,” Seven promised, “Just checking in. Koujaku has that devilish salesman thing going for him. The whole, could convince someone wearing white to help him hide a body.”

“He does,” MC agreed, “That’s for damn sure. But no. Everything’s fine.”

“That’s good,” Seven let out a heavy sigh of relief, “These days, you can’t be too careful. The kids these days get involved in a bad batch of drugs and next thing you know, you’re on a boat halfway to Alaska with nothing but your wits and a pair of bunny slippers to get you through the night. Granted, you end up making friends with those bunny slippers, but then, they start talking back to you and you slowly lose your mind and then, you realize the bunny slippers have it out for you and they try to make a rudimentary knife from a walrus tusk they found while you were in Alaska while they were in their migration season.”

“Seven,” MC stopped him, “What the hell are you rambling on about now?”

“Are you and Mai-Ling alone?” Seven worried.

“No,” she shook her head. _This boy is so lucky his head’s attached, _“Say hi, Clear.”

“Hi, Seven!” Clear waved, blissfully unaware that Seven couldn’t actually see him.

“Hi, Clear!” Seven sang back, “Ok. That’s good to hear. I don’t want you two going out alone, ok?”

“Why not?” MC wondered, “I go out by myself on a regular basis when we’re home. Hell, I think I might have while we were here last time, too. In fact, I know we did. When we got groceries, we split up for a while. Why can’t I go out by myself?”

“Because,” he explained, “You’re a prime target for kidnapping if the other side decides to do something rash and stupid. It’s alright, MC. You can’t help it. It’s classic main character syndrome. But…Just be careful. Please. Even when I’m buried in work here, I just want you to be careful.”

“I will,” MC swore, her heart breaking at the strain in Seven’s voice, “Pinky promise.”

“Ok,” Seven relaxed, “How long until you come back?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “It might be a while yet. But you woke Mai-Ling from a nap, you jerk.”

“I’m sorry!” he whined, “Can you tell her I’m sorry and that I love her very, very much?”

“I will,” MC smiled, “You be careful, too, Seven, ok? I don’t want to be fake widowed at my age.”

“Deal…”

Click.

MC couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She knew exactly what she had with no intentions of ever letting it go. And of course, her sudden cheer couldn’t go unnoticed. Clear gave her a little nudge under the table, “Hey, MC?”

“What, Clear?”

“About you and Seven,” he wondered, “Is he your boyfriend?”

“No,” MC shook her head. _But he should be…_


	17. Secret Meeting

Later in the evening, MC had gone back to the hotel with not one peep from Jaehee. Although she knew her friend was in good hands, she couldn’t help but be concerned. Where had she run off to? Where did Koujaku take her? Would she be coming back tonight or did they have other plans? _No. Koujaku wouldn’t cheat on Aoba and Jaehee would never go for a threesome. _Regardless, it had gotten late. After her day out and about in Midorijima, MC wanted nothing more than to call it a night. 

Everyone else, with the exception of Jaehee were all in their respective rooms. Jumin had been playing a game of Scrabble on his tablet. Zen had the TV and a face mask on already sound asleep. Yoosung was in the middle of a LOLOL match on his previously confiscated PSP, so she figured it’d be best not to bother him. The only ones she had left to see to were Seven and Saeran. And to no surprise of her own, they were both buried in monitors along with a new frenemy.

“Hi, guys,” MC walked in with a key to every room, “What’s going on in here?”

“MC!” Seven squeaked, over the moon to see her again, “Come in! Come in!”

“What is it, Seven?” MC wondered, catching Seven’s excitement, “Did something happen?”

“No,” Noiz reported, staring blankly at the screen, “Nothing. I haven’t heard a single word from anyone. The monitors haven’t made a peep. Seven just got caught up in the moment. I think he likes you, MC.”

“What gave that away?” Saeran rolled his eyes, playing Candy Crush on his phone with his back on the floor and his feet up on the bed, “Welcome to our world, Noiz. Make yourself comfortable. On the left, you’ll see a disbanded cult and more issues than a magazine rack. On the right, you’ll see my brother’s pathetic attempt at a love life with the glue that holds the ragtag bunch together. The exit is through the gift shop.”

“Hey!” Seven whined, “MC, Saeran’s being mean to me!”

“Saeran,” MC immediately jumped to Seven’s defense. Or so Seven thought, “You really think I hold us together? That’s so sweet.”

“What the hell, MC?” Seven pouted.

“Of course you do,” Saeran slid his finger across his screen, scoring a big combo move, “Have you seen us lately? We’d all be drooling on ourselves if we didn’t have you. So, you’re welcome, Saeyoung. I gave you MC.”

“How’d you do that?” Noiz asked, “You look like you get out about as much as I do.”

“Remember me talking about that disbanded cult?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s how,” Saeran lost his grip on his phone only for it to fall directly onto his face, “Dammit.”

“Long story, Noiz,” MC brushed him off, “And not exactly an easy one to tell.”

“You think you got a tragic backstory?” Noiz scoffed, “You should hear ours. Shit’s a mess.”

“It could be worse,” MC shrugged, “But not what we’re here for. Come on, boys. It’s getting late. You’ve stared at the monitors long enough. It’s time for bed.”

“We’re not kids, MC,” Saeran pointed out, “We need to be watching these monitors.”

“Noiz, go home,” MC shooed him away, “If you hear anything, call us.”

“Only if you’ll extend to me the same courtesy,” Noiz closed his laptop and got up from the floor.

“Of course,” MC reached into her bag and pulled out the sleeping panda inside, “By the way, Seven, a certain young lady got tuckered out on our adventures today.”

“Aww, Mai-Ling,” Seven melted inside, taking her out of MC’s arms, “You had a big day, huh, sweetheart?”

“I don’t understand why people have such emotional attachments to their Allmates,” Noiz sighed out, “Aoba’s the same way with Ren. They’re machines.”

“And?” MC gave Mai-Ling a little pat on the head, “Maybe to someone else, they’re more than just a machine. They’re companions. And to us, Mai-Ling is part of the family. Seven and I adopted her together for the sake of finding you, Noiz, but at the end of the day…”

“We wouldn’t trade her for the world,” Seven kissed Mai-Ling’s forehead and tucked her into bed.

“I’m sure you fell in love with the digital assistant in your phone, too, didn’t you, Seven?”

“He asked for Siri to call him darling and set her voice to a British lady,” Saeran wouldn’t hesitate to throw his brother’s weird technology fetish under the bus.

“Saeran!” Seven squeaked, showing signs of humility, “Is that really the route you want to take with me?”

“You don’t have anything against me, Saeyoung,” Saeran sat back, “I’m golden.”

“Really?” Seven had a dirty smirk on his face that would’ve made Jumin proud, “Rule. Thirty-four. Megatron. Need I say more?”

“Oh, shit,” Saeran lost any and all color in his face.

“Excuse me?” That got Noiz’s attention, “What was that?”

“You heard me,” Seven held his ground.

“I’m going to kick your ass, Saeyoung!” Saeran jumped across the bed, ready to wrap his hands around his brother’s throat. That is, until MC caught him by the ankle and brought him down to the bed.

“No, you’re not,” MC settled him, “Seven, that wasn’t cool. But Saeran, you outed him first in terms of the whole sexy robot situation, so you did kind of have that one coming.”

“HA!” Seven screeched, “And you thought I didn’t have anything on you!”

“I could dump out your Google search history just as quick, Saeyoung!” Saeran was still a tad heated. More than what MC would like, “Or better yet, how about the things you’ve photoshopped?”

“Enough, Saeran,” MC stopped him, “Noiz, go home. I need to put these two to bed before they actually kill each other.”

“I mean,” Noiz figured, “If you were really interested in robot sex, Saeran, I’d point you in the direction of Clear, but that’s here nor there. I’ll see you guys later. Good night, MC. Good luck.”

“Thanks, Noiz,” MC smiled a little, “Good night.”

“I’m still going to kill you, Saeyoung,” Saeran kicked his shoes off and crawled into bed, “Just not right now. You’re lucky MC’s here.”

“Saeran,” MC glared a hole through him.

“Ha, ha,” Seven teased him, “She’s on my side.”

“I will fake divorce you,” MC hushed him, tucking Seven into bed first, then Saeran, “Can I leave you two in here alone for the night or am I going to have something hard to explain to the maids in the morning?”

“We’ll be good,” Seven promised.

“Yeah,” Saeran rolled over, “Whatever. I don’t have it in me to kill him tonight anyway.”

“Transformers, though, Saeran?” MC wondered, “Really? That’s what does it for you?”

“It was one time,” Saeran growled, “And it was out of curiosity more than anything else.”

“Alright then,” MC kissed his cheek, “Good night.”

“Good night,” Saeran could pout and scoff all he wanted. As soon as MC turned her back, he has a little smile on his face again. It’s amazing the power she had over those two. And after she gave Seven his proper kiss good night, MC could finally go to bed herself. Although, she did have one baby left to take care of.

When MC walked into her room, she found V already asleep in their recliner. She giggled to herself, shaking her head. _Old habits die hard, I guess. _MC put her hand on V’s shoulder, “V…V…”

“Mmm…” V wasn’t budging.

She didn’t like to resort to it. Mostly because it felt weird in her mouth, but MC had no other choice. She placed her lips on his forehead and hardly spoke above a whisper, “Jihyun…Wake up.”

“Mmm…” Slowly, but surely, V had woken up, “If I’m not mistaken, MC, you just called me by my first name.”

“You weren’t moving,” MC sat on the arm of the chair, “I had to resort to drastic measures. I didn’t like it any more than you did.”

“No,” V let it go, “I didn’t mind. Jumin uses the same tactic if he and I ever drink together and I get to be too much to handle. It works every time.”

“I keep forgetting you two grew up together,” she took his hand, guiding him toward their bed, “But I got all the kids down. Except for one. Jaehee’s unaccounted for.”

“Where did Jaehee go?”

“She’s out with Koujaku,” MC reported, “I’m sure she’ll be fine. I told her to call me if she need anything and so far, she’s been radio silent. I checked in with her earlier, but she said things were fine. I’m sure she’ll be back sometime tonight. Jaehee’s a grown woman. She can take care of herself.”

“We’re all mostly grown men and yet, you take care of us,” V retaliated, getting comfortable.

“That’s because it’s my job,” she reminded him, crawling into bed next to him, “And you’re the last one I need to put to bed.”

“I understand,” he laid his head on her stomach, “I can never begin to thank you for that, MC. We were a little on the rocks for a while as an organization until you came along.”

“Don’t start,” MC wrapped her arms around him, setting V at ease, “You don’t need to thank me, V. Like I said, it’s my job. I know I’m appreciated. Just like how I love all of you. We’re a family, the eight of us. Mom, Dad, the live-in nanny, and the pain in the ass kids we wouldn’t trade for the world.”

“I suppose you’re right,” V laughed a little.

“Hey, V,” MC wondered, more concerned about the father figure of the group, “Are you ok? You seemed off this morning. And if you want to pay me back for all the good of done for the sake of the group, you can answer me honestly.”

“If we’re being honest,” V let out a heavy, tired sigh, “I’m not sure. A lot of this situation feels…Familiar. I was talking about it with Jumin earlier today, but this feels like…”

“Like it could be her,” she figured.

“I know I enabled a lot of what Rika did,” he admitted, “And I know Saeran and Yoosung hate me for it.”

“They don’t hate you, V,” MC tried making him feel better.

“I’m definitely not their favorite.”

“That’s because you’re not me,” she joked a little, “Yoosung adores me because I remind him of Rika and Saeran loves me because I helped him get his head right again.”

“It’s strange,” V cuddled closer into MC’s ribs, “All the reasons they love you are the reasons they hate me.”

“Hush,” MC stopped him, “V, if you keep going down that path, it’s just going to send you spiraling and you don’t deserve that. They just need some time.”

“MC,” he cranked his head back, “Could you arrange a meeting with Noiz for me please?”

“Sure,” she nodded, “When?”

“For tonight,” V decided, “And invite him here.”

“V, no,” MC put her foot down, “I’ll make the meeting in the morning. Both you and I need to go to sleep. Sleep first. Then, we can see Noiz.”

“Fine,” he caved, shutting his eyes again, “But just us. Don’t tell anyone else about it.”

“Why?” she wondered. _Secrets are what got the RFA into trouble in the first place. I thought he had sworn off them. _

“They don’t need to know,” V explained, “It needs to be between us for the sake of morale. In case…”

“V,” MC assured, “This isn’t Rika. I’m almost a hundred percent positive this isn’t her.”

“I don’t think so either,” he clarified, “But just…Please set up the meeting.”

“I will.”

“Thank you,” V hugged her tight.

  
“You’re welcome,” MC ran her fingers down his back, “Go to sleep, V…Ok?”

“And you’re going to stay here,” he hoped, “Right, MC?”

“Of course.”

“Really,” V nuzzled his face into her belly, finding comfort in her warmth, “Thank you for doing this, MC.”

“It’s not like I could say no to you,” she kissed the top of his head, “Good night, V.”

“Good night…” And just like that, V was back to sleep. As he slept, MC carefully reached over to the nightstand to get her phone. V did ask her to set up a meeting with Noiz. It’s not like she had anything better to do. As tired as she was, MC wasn’t going to sleep any time soon. 

**MC:**

_Are you awake, Noiz?_

**Noiz:**

_Just got home._

_What do you want, MC?_

**MC:**

_Can we meet in the morning?_

**Noiz:**

_For what?_

**MC:**

_V wants to speak with you._

_Just the three of us._

**Noiz:**

_So…_

_It’s a secret meeting._

**MC:**

_Kind of._

_Yeah._

**Noiz:**

_Ok._

_What time?_

**MC:**

_Is 9AM good for you?_

**Noiz:**

_Eww…_

_Hell no._

_But I can do 11AM._

_Café next door to the junk shop._

**MC:**

_Ok._

_See you tomorrow. x_

MC could finally call it a day. Her boys were in bed. Her work was done. All she had to do was shut her eyes and she’d be sufficiently under. She even heard a click a couple doors down. Jaehee was finally back. And lucky for her, Jumin was already asleep. But MC wouldn’t hold that against her. She was too tired. After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, the view turned into the view from inside MC’s eyelids. And it was time for bed.

The next morning, MC and V snuck out of their room to the elevator at the end of the hall, making sure not to wake any of the others. Although, MC had no doubt in her mind that Seven and Saeran were already awake and buried in the monitors. _They’re probably waiting for Noiz, too. Hopefully, he doesn’t tell them he’ll be tied up for a while. _MC wasn’t sure what V had to ask him, but she knew deep down that it couldn’t be good. As much as MC wanted to peek her head in at the junk shop to say hi to Aoba and Ren, they had business to attend to.

“Is he here yet?” V asked.

“Not yet,” MC told him, keeping her eyes peeled. _The kid sticks out in a crowd. Green hat, face full of metal, permanent pissed off glare in his eyes. Come on, Noiz. It’s almost eleven o'clock. Where the hell are you? _All of a sudden, MC’s stomach betrayed her. If her time with the RFA has taught her anything, it’s that the sound of her stomach growling was enough to piss off every single member. Particularly Seven. That sound meant she wasn’t taking care of herself the way she should be. And out of everyone in the RFA, who’s going to have better hearing than the blind man?

“You really should get something to eat, MC,” V insisted, a little smirk on his face, “Why don’t you get us both something light and I’ll wait here for Noiz?”

“Are you sure?” she worried, “Are you going to be ok to leave by yourself?”

“I’ll be fine,” he promised, “Go on.”

“Got it, boss,” MC ordered a pastry too big for either of them to finish on their own along with a bubble tea for herself and chamomile for V. She knew the man. And she knew the cinnamon roll she got would be plenty for both of them. When she turned around with her order in hand, she didn’t expect the guy behind her to be standing so close, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, MC,” Noiz settled her, “It’s not the end of the world. So, you bumped into me. Big deal.”

“Noiz,” MC smiled, “Good morning. It is still morning, isn’t it?”

“As far as I know,” he nodded, “Where are you and V sitting?”

“Back corner,” she directed him, keeping her same volume, “V, wave if you can hear me.”

Immediately, V’s hand had gone up. And Noiz was impressed, “How did he…?”

“He’s always listening for my voice,” MC explained, “And it’s like he’s always taught me. Never ever sneak up on a blind man. It’s impossible. Especially one as paranoid as what V is.”

“I’ll be over there shortly,” Noiz dropped it.

“Ok,” MC went back to the table with breakfast in hand and sat across from V, “I brought us a cinnamon roll if that’s ok.”

“Sounds wonderful,” V smiled, “By chance, MC, were you showing off my superhuman hearing to Noiz?”

“He needed to know where we were sitting,” MC giggled, “I wasn’t showing off. You were, if anything.”

“I guess so,” he felt around for his tea, assuming the plastic cup was for him.

“V,” MC tried to stop him, but once he took that first drink, V was hooked.

“What did you get for me, MC?” he wondered, “This is really good.”

“Yeah,” she nodded, “It is. That’s bubble tea, V. And it was _my _bubble tea.”

“Oh…” V winced, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” MC let him have it, “I can drink your tea, too. No worries. If you want to keep my bubble tea, boss, it’s yours.”

“Thank you,” he took another drink, “Because this is incredible. Can we get this back home?”

“I don’t see why not,” she figured, “If you’re looking to order it, that’s dragonfruit and matcha with coconut milk. It’s a hell of a combination. I normally get it with almond milk, but for whatever reason, I switched it up yesterday and I don’t think I can go back to almond milk.”

“It’s wonderful,” V sucked a boba pearl through the straw unexpectedly, “Is there supposed to be something in my mouth that isn’t liquid?”

“That’s why they call it bubble tea,” MC assured, “It’s weird to get used to, but you’ll get used to it.”

“So, V,” Noiz sat down next to MC with half a dozen donut holes and a cup of coffee, “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Hello, Noiz,” V swallowed his last mouthful of tea, “There’s no sense in stalling, is there?”

“I do have other shit to do today,” Noiz kicked his foot up on the empty chair, “And I got up early for this.”

“What do you know about your employer?” V asked, complying with Noiz’s schedule.

“Not too much,” Noiz shoved one of his donuts in his mouth, reveling in the flavor for a brief moment. _Sweet…It’s sweet, _“They did agree to meet me, though.”

“That’s good to hear,” V relaxed a little.

“But wait,” MC stopped him, “They may have agreed to meet you, but how do we know they’re not sending in a proxy?”

“Clever girl,” Noiz applauded, “I like you, MC.”

“Noiz,” V got his attention again, “In your conversations with your client, have you ever heard the name Rika brought up?”

“Rika?” Noiz perked up.

“V…” MC tried to settle him, but her attempt was useless.

“Answer me,” V growled. MC had never seen V get angry before. Sad, depressed, anxious, yes. But angry? Anger was something new. And it scared the hell out of her.

“No,” Noiz promised, “Not once. Why?”

“Don’t worry about it,” V kept that to himself, “When can we meet this potential proxy?”

“They said they’d call me when they were ready,” Noiz reported, “Chances are, we’ll meet by the docks.”

“Why the docks?” MC asked.

“How the hell should I know?” Noiz scoffed, “Probably because it’s cliché.”

“Alright,” V nodded, “We’ll tell the others about this later. Thank you, Noiz.”

“I didn’t do this out of the goodness of my heart,” Noiz sat back, sipping on his coffee, “I did this because Aoba asked me nicely. If you want to thank someone, thank him. I didn’t do this for you.”

Because heaven forbid Noiz stuck around, he made a dramatic exit, knocking over a few chairs on his way out, and left MC and V at their table. Although, MC wasn’t exactly lying when she said V could be paranoid, “So? Do you think we can trust him, MC?”

“I think so,” MC sighed out, finally getting a drink of what was supposed to be V’s tea, “He did agree to meet us and we’re still here. No one’s approached us. And he didn’t kill Mai-Ling when he had the chance. She was a major key in bringing him down, yet the last time I saw her, she was sleeping in Seven’s bed. I’m almost a hundred percent sure that he hasn’t said a word to his boss about us. We can trust Noiz. Mostly because if he does screw us over, I’m pretty sure Aoba and Koujaku wouldn’t let him live it down. Or Clear. He kind of has a soft spot for me.”

“If that’s the case,” V thought, “Should we meet the proxy?”

“I don’t see why not.”


	18. Coming Clean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this, then know that I'm balls deep in Castlevania season three right now and couldn't be happier. Go on. Enjoy yourselves, kids.

Once MC and V got back to the hotel, MC left V in their room, so she could do the necessary work. There was no sense in them dwelling on their newfound information. The others had a right to know. Things were about to start shaking and moving and the two of them couldn’t do it on their own. She started knocking on the doors of the other RFA members, calling for a family meeting in their room. Sure enough, they call came running. Of course they would. It’s MC. She could ask them to hide a body and every single one of them would be fighting over who would get the golden opportunity. 

“So,” Seven jumped onto the bed, “What’s going on, boss? Impromptu family slumber party? Because I didn’t bring any jammies.”

“No, Seven,” MC held back a little giggle, “It’s much more serious than a family slumber party. Although, when this is all said and done, I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”

“No,” Saeran chimed in, “When all this is said and done, you and I have a date, MC.”

“Cutthroat Kitchen and Cupcake Wars?” she figured.

“And Real Housewives,” he added, “We’ve been over this.”

“Saeran’s reality TV addiction aside,” Jumin asked, “Why are we all here, V? What’s going on?”

“Noiz got a hit on his employer,” V began, “He’s going to be paid in person. There’s a chance we’re going to get a proxy, but that proxy could lead us to the real client.”

“Wait, V,” Jaehee wondered, “How do you know all this?”

“We talked to Noiz this morning,” MC answered, “I arranged a meeting and the three of us met. There were a few other curiosities that needed to be satisfied and they were taken care of.”

“So,” Yoosung scoffed, “What happened to you not keeping secrets anymore, V? I thought that was what made the organization almost fall apart in the first place.”

“This was personal,” V confessed, “I’m sorry, Yoosung, but this wasn’t something you need to know. Everything’s alright, though. That’s for sure.”

“So,” Seven stepped in before Yoosung could blow a gasket, “Noiz might be meeting a proxy?”

“That’s right,” MC nodded, “In fact, I’m almost a hundred percent sure his client is sending a proxy. If it were me, I’d send one, too.”

“Me, too,” Saeran agreed, “In the world of underground dealings, one of the biggest rules is to never show your real face. A mask is your best friend. And if you can send a proxy, do it.”

“Are we going to send a proxy, too?” Zen wondered.

“It would be a good idea,” MC thought it over, “Do we even have someone we can send as a proxy, V?”

“I don’t know,” V worried, “Do we?”

“Well,” MC ran through the list, “Zen’s face has been plastered all over magazines, so he’s too well known. Same with Jumin. And anyone who has ever been around Jumin has probably seen Jaehee, too. There’s a chance that whoever Noiz’s client is has probably seen both Seven and me. The last thing I want to do is send Saeran into flashbacks and…Well…V, we have to keep you under lock and key. There’s still a chance that whoever wanted us destroyed could be after you.”

“Then…”

“That leaves…” Seven turned his head, grinning darkly at their only option left.

“ME?!” Yoosung’s heart stopped, “No. No, no, no.”

“Yoosung,” MC settled him down, “You’re unassuming. You blend right in with everyone else here. You’ll be perfect. They’ll never know you’re working for us.”

“I don’t know, MC,” Yoosung quivered, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“Why not?” she asked, innocently enough.

“I’m…” Yoosung tried to think of an excuse, but it’s not like he wanted to be too honest when he’s put on the spot like this, “I don’t think I’m espionage material. There’s something I’m bound to screw up. You really want to put me on something that’s as life and death as this?”

“Seven,” MC cranked her neck back, “Do you have any surveillance equipment with?”

“The whole nine, MC,” Seven beamed, “Listening devices, high powered binoculars, mics, facial recognition software in my laptop. We’re truly set up for any kind of espionage.”

“I’ll be in your ear the whole time, Yoosung,” she promised, “You’ll be ok.”

“I’m still not a hundred percent sure I’m the guy,” Yoosung winced, “You’re sure about this?”

“Think about it this way, Yoosung,” MC knew how to work each and every member of the RFA in one way or another. If she didn’t by now, she’d be screwed. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case, “For however long it takes us to find out who Noiz is working for, _you _get to be Noiz.”

“I do…?” Yoosung’s eyes started to sparkle.

“You do.” _Got him._

“Well…” Yoosung mulled it over, internally doing cartwheels, “Ok. When are we doing this little mission?”

“Whenever we get the call from Noiz,” V reported, “He has to hear from his client first before they can set up a meeting.”

“Hey…” MC knew Yoosung wasn’t still completely sold on this. The thought of going undercover scared the shit out of him. She laced her fingers between his, “We’ll be ok. I know you’ll do fine. I will be with you every step of the way.”

“Promise?” Yoosung asked.

“I promise,” MC pulled him into her shoulder.

Ring, ring.

“Whose phone is that?” Seven perked up, ready to jump into the prospects of this espionage.

“It’s mine,” MC reached onto the table and grabbed her phone. _Unknown number, huh? Maybe to you, phone, _“Hello?”

“Hi, MC,” Noiz spoke on the other end.

“Hello, Noiz,” MC smiled, “How are you?”

“Super.”

“That’s good to hear,” her joy was unwavering, “Do you have any other good news to share with the class?”

“I got the call,” Noiz reported, “You ready to meet the proxy?”

“Absolutely,” MC chimed, “But we’re sending in a proxy, too. If that’s alright with you, of course.”

“Really?” Noiz couldn’t help but wonder, “Who?”

“Yoosung.”

“Seriously?” he scoffed, “Wait…Yoosung was the little spazz, right? The one that lost his shit over me.”

“That’s the one!” she confirmed, “He’s going to serve as your stand-in.”

“Look, MC,” Noiz sighed out, “I’m not here to completely mistrust your judgment or anything, but…Really? You’re sending Yoosung? Call me skeptical.”

“He can do it,” MC looked over at him, “I have faith in him. You have nothing to worry about.”

“Except for the possibility that Yoosung totally blows it,” Seven figured, “Then, he could probably be taken by the guys that hired Noiz, tell them everything about the RFA, end up tortured…probed.”

“Seven!” Yoosung freaked, his heart jumping out of his chest.

“And that wouldn’t even be the worst part!” Seven went on, “What if they end up assimilating Yoosung into _their _organization and turn him against us with something they dug up on the way the RFA used to be ran? Or…”

“Seven!” MC snapped, “I’m sorry, Noiz. It’s hard to keep the children under control when I’m _on the phone. _So, please. Forgive me. I hope you understand.”

“You are definitely an underrated single mother, MC,” Noiz let it go, “Alright. Let Yoosung stand in for me. That’s fine. Do we have a way of monitoring everything he does?”

“Seven’s got it taken care of,” she assured, “Any sort of tech we may need for this adventure, we have.”

“Alright,” he approved, “But I’ll be joining you. I’m sure you’re not going to be too terribly far away from this, are you?”

“No,” MC went on, “Seven and I are going to be keeping an eye on Yoosung while the transaction goes down. We’ll find somewhere to hide close by. You’re more than welcome to watch with us.”

“Noiz is going to be there?!” Yoosung freaked.

“Then,” Zen wondered, “What would the point of sending Yoosung be? Noiz could just go himself.”

“Did you not listen to a word I just said?” Saeran shot Zen a glare, “I just told you. In the world of underground dealings like this, your anonymity is all you got. If you can send a proxy, send a proxy.”

“I like that one,” Noiz chimed in, “That one knows what he’s talking about.”

“That’s Saeran,” MC filled him in, “That’s Seven’s brother.”

“I kind of figured,” Noiz assumed, “When we all met, I knew I felt a kindred spirit in the huddled masses of the RFA.”

“Meet us here, Noiz,” MC ordered, “When did they say you could make the pickup?”

“They’ll be in the warehouse district in an hour,” Noiz told her, “I’ll be at the hotel as soon as I can.”

“See you soon.”

Click.

“So…” Yoosung tried to steady his breathing, “This is it, huh? This is really happening?”

“This is happening,” MC nodded, “By the way, Saeran, out of all of us, you’re Noiz’s favorite.”

“I kind of figured,” Saeran pulled his 3DS out of his pocket and went back to his game. 

“Seven,” MC asked, “Where’s all of your AV equipment?”

“In the room!” Seven hopped up onto his feet, “Should I bring Mai-Ling, too, or should she stay in the room?”

“Bring Mai-Ling,” MC decided, “You never know when she’ll come in handy.”

“Alright then!” Seven squeaked, “Shall we?”

“Yoosung?” MC checked on him, “You doing ok?”

“Yeah,” Yoosung had calmed down somewhat, but that’s about it, “Wonderful. How are you?”

“Concerned about your current mental state,” she wrapped her arms around him, “I promise, Yoosung. You’ll be fine. Think of it like that one time we played Goldeneye together. Same difference.”

“I don’t think I could compare myself to James Bond…”

“Then, I’ll do it for you,” MC took his hand, “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” Yoosung wondered.

“Seven and Saeran’s room,” MC explained, bringing him next door, “I know. I got something that’ll make you feel a little better.”

“What?”

“Mai-Ling, disengage sleep mode,” MC called out into the room.

“You called for me, MC?” Mai-Ling toddled down from Seven’s bed.

“Come here, sweetheart,” MC picked her up and put her in Yoosung’s arms, “I’m assuming you’ve met Mai-Ling before.”

“Of course I have,” Yoosung cuddled her, “Look at this little face and try not to fall in love. It’s impossible.”

“Thank you, Yoosung!” Mai-Ling nuzzled her face in his neck.

“Yoosung, take your shirt off,” MC ordered.

“Excuse me?” Yoosung perked up, possibly more freaked out now than when he was asked to be Noiz’s proxy.

“My, my,” Seven gasped, “MC, you’re so forward! Should I leave the room? Is it about to get hella NSFW in here?”

“It’s for his microphone, you pervert,” MC giggled, rolling her eyes. _These are my idiots. And I love them. _

“Oh, yeah,” Seven dug Yoosung’s microphone out of the case, “Here, MC.”

“It just looks like a bandage,” Yoosung put Mai-Ling on the dresser and reluctantly peeled his shirt off.

“That’s part of its camouflage,” Seven explained, “Pretty genius, if I do say so myself.”

“You designed it, Seven,” MC pointed out, putting it on Yoosung’s chest, “You’re not going to say that was stupid.”

“How well does this microphone work, Seven?” Yoosung wondered, doing everything he could to distract himself from what was about to go down.”

“Pretty good,” Seven took great pride in his work, “I bet it could pick up your heartbeat right now.”

“Seriously?” Yoosung gasped, “It’s that sensitive.”

“It’s more sensitive than you are, my friend,” Seven put his headphones on and listened closely, “Yep! I got a heartbeat! Congratulations, Yoosung. You’re still alive.”

“I could’ve told you that,” Yoosung brushed him off, “Can I put my shirt back on? It’s cold in here.”

“Clearly,” Seven noticed, “You could probably cut diamond with your nips.”

“Seven!” MC shoved her finger in his face, “You really need to learn to develop a filter.”

“You’re not the first person to tell me that,” Seven closed his case.

“Mai-Ling,” MC wondered, “Is there a way for you to distribute a small, non-fatal electrical shock?”

“Like a behavior correction?” Mai-Ling asked.

“Yeah.”

“No,” she shook her head, climbing onto Yoosung’s shoulder, “That’s not in my available functions. I can emit a frequency only dogs and other Allmates can hear, though.”

“Seven,” MC asked, “Do you have a noise sensitivity?”

“Can’t say that I do,” Seven thought it over, “Do I? No…I’m pretty sure I don’t.”

“Dammit…” MC let it go. _So much for that idea. Maybe I could just use a joy buzzer. But I’m sure Seven’s used to the feeling of a joy buzzer anyway, _“Yoosung, are you ready?”

“Yeah,” Yoosung put his shirt back on, “But I’m kind of nervous.”

“Here,” MC gave him his earpiece, “Put this in.”

“Ok…?” Yoosung did as he was told, “What was that all about?”

MC picked up the other microphone and whispered into it, “I told you. I’m going to be in your ear the whole time. You’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, MC…” Yoosung’s cheeks turned red.

Knock, knock.

“Seven,” MC requested, “Could you get the door?”

“Sure,” Seven jumped up and opened the door, “Noiz!”

“Hi, Seven,” Noiz walked in, “Yoosung, do you promise you’re not going to drool on yourself again?”

“Promise!” Yoosung swore.

“Just go in there,” Noiz ordered, “Get my money. Get out. Don’t ask any questions we don’t tell you to ask. Is he mic’d up?”

“Yep,” MC nodded, “Just did it myself. We’re all ready to go.”

“Wonderful,” he approved, “Can we get going then? I’d rather not be out for too long. Or worse, caught in a drive-by.”

“I thought civilians weren’t allowed to carry guns in Japan,” Seven noticed.

“Not that kind of drive-by,” Noiz elaborated, “That means something different here. I’m talking about someone hacking into the Rhyme mainframe and dragging someone unwillingly into a battle. Considering I’m one of the best to ever play the game, I have no doubt that some noob would want to fight the best and think he’s the best. It’s not that I really mind, but if I’m busy, it gets kind of annoying. Yoosung, I will be watching you tonight. Don’t embarrass me or wet yourself.”

“I won’t!” Yoosung started pouring sweat, “Seven, is the adhesive on the microphone waterproof?”

“Mostly,” Seven figured, “I never really thought to test that.”

“You’ll do fine,” MC promised, kissing his cheek, “Good luck, sweetie. We’re all rooting for you.”

Yoosung followed Noiz, MC, and Seven into the elevator and took it to the lobby. _This is it. I can prove myself to be useful to this organization. Are you watching, Rika? I hope you are. Because I’m about to save the RFA. At least I hope so._


	19. Real Life Espionage

“I’m not so sure about this, guys…” Yoosung stood at the edge of the docks while MC, Noiz, and Seven sat atop a nearby embankment, watching diligently. So far, no one was coming. However, Yoosung couldn’t shake his nerves in the least. No matter how hard he tried or how much MC hyped him up, he wasn’t completely sold on the idea of espionage. Even though he kept telling himself to be Noiz, it wasn’t setting in like he hoped. 

“You’re ok, Yoosung,” MC’s voice came out of his earpiece, soothing his nerves a little, “If all else fails, what did I tell you to do?”

“Kick as hard as I can between their legs and run?”

“My God,” Noiz rolled his eyes, “Seriously?”

“Is that really the advice you gave him, MC?” Seven winced.

“What’s so bad about that?” MC defended, “It’s always worked for me.”

“Don’t do that, Yoosung,” Seven stepped in, “If you’re going to defend yourself, at least be a man about it. A good punch to the chest. Throw an elbow. If you can’t go for the chest, the nose is a good spot, too. You’ll either knock the wind out of them or disorient them. That’s what you’re wanting to go for. Now, get in there and make your forefathers proud.”

“I have four fathers?” Yoosung perked up.

“And this is the guy that’s supposed to be me?” Noiz stared daggers into MC, “It’s going to be a long night.”

“We really do need to teach that boy self-defense,” Seven let out a heavy sigh, “We’ve failed as parents, MC.”

“We’re not his parents, Seven,” MC clarified, “And no, Yoosung. You don’t have four fathers. You can do this. Just don’t think too much about it and you’ll be fine. Remember, we’re right up here. Look at me, Yoosung.”

Yoosung cranked his neck back and looked up toward the embankment, smiling a little, “I see you, MC.”

“As long as you don’t look up here for the rest of tonight,” MC settled him, “We’ll be able to get through this. Whatever you do, don’t blow either your cover or ours. Got it? It’s just a get in there and get out kind of mission.”

“Ok,” Yoosung brought himself back down to Earth, ready to do this. _I can’t let her down. I won’t let her down. _

“They’re here,” Noiz looked over toward the road.

“Good luck, Yoosung!” MC chimed, “We’re going dark. But we’re still here, ok?”

“Ok,” Yoosung gave her a nod. He repositioned himself and waited. A pair of bright halogen lights came toward him. Yoosung casually sat at the edge of the dock, doing his best to imitate Noiz’s movements. A blonde woman got out of the van, her hips swaying with each step in attempts to work a somewhat seductive angle with Noiz. Or who she thought was him anyway.

“Are you Noiz?” she asked, her voice matching her angle. 

“Yes?” Yoosung’s voice went up an octave. But then, he quickly cleared his throat and got his head back in the game, “Yes. I’m Noiz.”

“Good,” the woman smiled, “And when he can come here himself, he can have his money.”

“Oh, shit…” Noiz kept an eye on Yoosung through the binoculars, “You are Noiz, Yoosung.”

“I am Noiz,” Yoosung repeated, his heart ready to jump out of his chest.

“Are you now?” the woman looked him over like a lioness on her prey, “Then, I suppose you don’t mind if I ask you a round of questions?”

“Go ahead,” Yoosung allowed. _Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god. Oh, god. I’m not going to blow it. I’m not going to blow it. I’m not going to blow it. Everything is fine._

“Have you had any contact with the organization known as the RFA in the last twenty-four hours?” she began.

“No,” Noiz answered.

“No,” Yoosung parroted.

“Good,” the woman praised, sending chills through Yoosung’s body.

“Keep it together, Yoosung,” MC demanded, knowing exactly what was going on.

“What was that all about?” Noiz wondered.

MC muted her mic, “Yoosung has a praise kink and the lady down there is playing into it.”

“How do you know Yoosung has a praise kink, MC?” Seven teased her.

“Just trust me,” MC shot him down, “I just know these things.”

“Question two,” the woman went on as MC turned her mic back on, “Is your payment satisfactory?”

“Yoosung,” Noiz stepped in, “Look in the bag. Say you’re missing three hundred thousand yen. Specifically three hundred thousand yen. No more. No less.”

“It’s short,” Yoosung told her, digging through the bag, “I’m missing three hundred thousand yen.”

“No,” the woman denied him, “All the money is there.”

“Stay adamant, Yoosung,” Noiz ordered.

“No,” Yoosung stood his ground, “This bag is missing three hundred thousand yen.”

“Yes, sir,” the woman bowed, “I’ll call someone right away to get your three hundred thousand.”

“Five hundred thousand,” Yoosung corrected her, “We’ll add the extra two hundred thousand for pain and suffering.”

“Yes, sir…”

“Thank you.” The woman stepped away for a moment to make the phone call.

“Hey, Noiz,” Seven wondered, “How’d you know they were short?”

“I didn’t,” Noiz shrugged, “Call me greedy, but I just got an extra five hundred thousand yen. Very good, Yoosung. You earned yourself that extra two hundred thousand. We’ll call it your pain and suffering money for going through this in the first place. You’re doing great.”

“Thanks, Noiz,” Yoosung was starting to get into it. _This is a lot more fun than I thought it’d be _

“Your money is on the way,” the woman came back.

“Wonderful,” Yoosung leaned up against the shack behind him, getting more and more into character.

“Until the money gets here,” Noiz brought it back, “See if you can get her to say anything about being a proxy. Find out anything you can on her.

“Just relax, Yoosung,” MC got back on the mic, “You’re doing great so far. Don’t make idle chitchat. You always sucked at small talk. You can be brave for me, can’t you?”

Yoosung gave a subtle nod. 

“I always knew you could,” MC smiled. _I’m so proud of him. And he thought he wouldn’t be able to do this. _

“Alright,” Yoosung groaned, just as disinterested and annoyed as Noiz would, “When are you going to stop jerking me around?”

“Excuse me?” the woman froze up.

“Uh-oh,” MC worried, “Yoosung’s gone rogue.”

“Let’s be honest here,” Yoosung went on, “You’re not the one pulling the strings here, are you?”

“Do we bail?” Seven freaked, “Is someone going to come after us?”

“Relax, Seven,” Noiz shut him up, “It’s not the end of the world. We did tell Yoosung to find out if this was a proxy. Keep going, Yoosung.”

“There’s no way you’re the one who hired me,” Yoosung pushed her some more, “I want the shot caller.”

“I’m so sorry,” the woman folded like a cheap suit, “I don’t even know who hired you, sir. I’m just a stand-in. Please don’t be upset with me.”

“Stay strong, Yoosung,” MC insisted, “I know you just want to give her a hug and tell her it’s gong to be alright, but you have to be kind of an asshole to her. That goes against your alignment, I know, but you’re not playing on your alignment right now.”

“Look,” Yoosung let out a heavy sigh. _I’m so sorry, ma’am. I don’t mean to be so mean to you, but duty calls, _“I’m not upset with you. I just want to know who we’re both working for. Is that too much to ask? Now, I’m not exactly what one would call a patient man. So, whoever you called, I want you to call them back and not only to bring another five hundred thousand, but bring whoever it is we’re working for. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, sir,” the woman nodded frantically, “I can try. I’m not guaranteeing anything, but I can try.”

“Go on,” Yoosung shooed her away.

“Yoosung,” Noiz got on the mic, “What the hell are you doing?”

“You told me to get answers,” Yoosung shrugged, “Did I do bad? Because I thought you said I was doing pretty good.”

“Well,” Noiz thought it over, “You are getting me more money. You do realize I’m letting you keep that five hundred thousand, right?”

“What about the other five hundred thousand?” Yoosung asked, crossing his fingers, “Come on, man. I got student loans to pay off and my parents’ house to move out of.”

“I always told you, Yoosung,” Seven pointed out, “You’re more than welcome to come live with Saeran and me.”

“No, thank you.” Yoosung knew one Seven was bad enough. Having Seven and Saeran ganging up on him on a daily basis would not be what he’d consider ideal. 

“Tease.”

“Alright, Yoosung,” Noiz grumbled, “You can have the million. How much are your…”

“No!” MC cut him off, “That’s not exactly a subject you want to tackle with Yoosung. His student debt is…Not pretty.”

“Can’t say I relate,” Noiz dropped it, “Then again, money’s never been something I’ve had to worry about.”

“Really?” MC wondered.

“Oh yeah,” Noiz nodded, “Did I never tell you guys I’m loaded? Kind of thought talking about my younger brother’s company being my shield and the amount of electronic equipment I own would’ve given that away. Don’t tell Yoosung, but no matter how high he thinks his student loans are, I could probably pay them off without batting an eye.”

“Um…Noiz…?” MC pointed out, “I didn’t kill the mic.”

“Life is so unfair,” Yoosung wept a bit. _I suppose I shouldn’t be all that surprised. I’m sure Noiz’s e-league career keeps him comfortable, too. It’s too bad LOLOL doesn’t have a spot on the e-league circuit. I’m sure I’d be able to clean house, too. But alas. I’m here living Goldeneye. _

“Mr. Noiz, sir,” the woman came back, “They said they can get you more money, but the main boss isn’t available for meetings right now. You’d have to wait.”

“Did they say how long?” Yoosung asked.

“Maybe a couple weeks.”

“Take it, Yoosung,” Noiz demanded, “That’s the best we’re going to get. Jump on it.”

“Fine,” Yoosung brushed her off, “But I don’t need a maybe. I need a definitely. If I could hack the RFA, I’m sure I could find them, too. At least this way, it could be on their terms and not because I hacked my way to them.”

“Alright, Yoosung,” Noiz bit his lip, “You might want to reel it in there. I’m not even sure if I’m that good.”

“How long did it take you to hack into our systems, Noiz?” MC asked.

“A little over two weeks,” Noiz remembered, “I got in, got the information, got out, covered my tracks, and got out of there as quickly as possible. I’m impressed you managed to find me so quickly.”

“Well,” MC smiled, shooting a wink at Seven, “You’re not the only excellent hacker we know.”

“I got the mug on my desk to prove it!” Seven’s face lit up.

“Yes, you do,” MC melted inside, “And who got that mug for you?”

“I did…” he giggled a little, “But did I or did I not earn it?”

“You definitely earned it,” MC praised, “And I couldn’t be prouder.”

“Are you two dating yet?” Noiz groaned, “Because this couple-y bullshit is making me nauseous.”

“Oh, come on, Noiz,” MC sat next to him, “You can’t tell me you’ve never had someone special in your life.”

“Yeah,” Noiz brushed her off, “Once. And look where that got me.”

“Where did that get you?” Seven asked, genuinely curious.

“Well,” Noiz explained, “That someone special is now in the arms of someone else, so why did I even bother in the first place? I didn’t expect him to run off to Koujaku, but oh, well. As long as they’re happy, I guess.”

“Aoba?” MC perked up, “Really? You two were a thing?”

“Briefly,” Noiz confessed, “We were a thing for about three months. Every once in a while, we’d go to Germany to do some work for my brother. Sometimes, we’d go even further. It was a great three months. Until Aoba said he couldn’t handle it anymore, but that was the way my life worked. I couldn’t exactly get around it. So, we split up and that was the end of that. But like I said, it was an incredible three months while it lasted. It’s just too bad it didn’t last a little longer.”

Click…

“All three of you,” a deep, angry voice barked at them, “Hands where I can see them. Now.”


	20. Long Time, No See

“There’s a gun to our heads,” Seven had a tight, scared death grip on MC’s wrist.

“I see that, Seven,” MC’s voice shook worse than Seven’s, her thoughts racing. _Are we going to die here? I don’t want to die here. There are so many things I have left to do with my life. I have to tell…No. We’re getting out of here alive, dammit. I can’t think like that. _

“There’s a gun to our heads, MC,” Seven’s grip tightened.

“Thank you, Seven!” MC snapped, trying to keep a level head in a situation that wasn’t exactly allowing that kind of wiggle room. And Seven’s panic wasn’t helping.

“Relax, Seven,” Noiz settled him, “He’s not going to shoot us. We’re fine.”

“Hey, Noiz,” MC suggested, “Maybe a good idea here would be to not sass the man with the gun. Because I’d like to get out of this situation alive. Let’s just do what he says and call it a day, ok?”

“Wait,” the man groaned, “Seriously?”

“Oh, god,” Seven freaked, “MC, are we going to die?”

“What are you doing here?” he rolled his eyes.

Noiz hid a little smirk from Seven and MC. _Amateurs, _“Long time, no see, huh? Still the freedom fighter as always.”

“Noiz,” MC wondered, trying to steady her breathing, “What is happening? What did I tell you about sassing the man with the gun?”

“I know the man with the gun, MC,” Noiz assured, “Put your hands down. You’ll be fine. We’re not going to die here. And put the toys away, Mink. We can talk like civilized adults, can’t we?”

“I’ll ask you again,” the man demanded, “What the hell are you doing here, Noiz?”

MC let out a sigh of relief and Seven’s death grip loosened considerably. _Thank God. We’re going to be ok. Not going to lie, but having a gun up to my head wasn’t how I saw this going down. I’m just glad it wasn’t Yoosung up here. He would’ve probably passed out by now. _

“Working,” Noiz told him, “Seven, MC, this is Mink. I know he doesn’t seem like it because of the whole him waving a gun in our face, but he is a really good guy.”

“And if I have to ask you one more time, Noiz,” Mink stood his ground, “I will pistol whip you without hesitation. Quit wasting my time. What are you doing here?”

“I already told you,” Noiz pointed out, “Working. I just happen to have a team this time around.”

“This is your team?” Mink scoffed, looking over Seven and MC, “You can’t just pull a couple kids out of Theo’s IT department and call that a team.”

“The same argument could be made for you,” Noiz defended, “I didn’t get them from Theo’s IT department. At least I didn’t get them from my time in prison.”

“Some of those guys had teardrops, Noiz,” Mink argued, “And I’d take one of those guys over a dozen of you.”

“But you needed me once,” Noiz retaliated, “Or did you forget that? You wouldn’t have gotten to him if it wasn’t for me.”

“You weren’t doing that singlehandedly either.”

“Boys!” MC stepped in and did what she did best. She kept the fight from escalating. _Mink isn’t exactly a little dude and by the looks of him, he could probably take Noiz over his knee and snap him in half. _

Her sudden exclamation caught Mink’s attention more than Noiz’s. He looked at her strange. _Who is this girl? Who does she think she is? It’s not often someone gets this way with me. I make sure of that. That’s what the gun was for. I’d never admit it out loud, but Noiz was right. I had no intentions of pulling the trigger on these two, _“Go ahead. Do you have something to say or were you trying to shut us up?”

“This…” MC’s voice quivered. She quickly cleared her throat and stood her ground. _It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had to break two morons up. And it likely won’t be the last. Granted, I’m used to my idiots being a bit…Not nearly as massive as Mink, but from the neck up, they’re mostly the same_, “This petty squabbling isn’t getting us anywhere. I don’t care what kind of past you two have. We got things to take care of here. Now, can we play nice for a second?”

“I was playing nice,” Noiz pouted, “Ask him that question.”

“No,” MC shoved her finger in Noiz’s chest, “I’m asking both of you. Now, are we going to be able to play nice long enough for everyone to get the answers they’re looking for?”

“I can,” Mink glared a hole through Noiz. 

“I guess,” Noiz brushed her off, “What are you doing here, Mink?”

“I got wind of a certain organization,” he explained, leaning against a nearby tree, “They need to be taken out. Plain and simple.”

“That sounds healthy,” Noiz shrugged, “And familiar. You think he has something to do with it?”

“I don’t know,” Mink thought, “But it’s possible.”

“See?” MC chimed, “Was that so difficult?”

“Wow, MC,” Seven giggled a bit, easing his stress, “You really are everyone’s mom, aren’t you?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” MC settled him, doing a few poses, “Do you see this body? Does it look like it’s been through…Let’s see…One, two, three, four, five, six, seven babies? Nine, if you want to count these two? No, no, no, my friend. This body says my kids were all adopted.”

“I need to be getting back to them,” Mink started walking away only to freeze in the middle of his tracks, “Hey, Noiz…”

“What?” Noiz perked up.

“This organization…” Mink told him, “They’re hiding behind the guise of religion. They do their evil in the name of their god and call it charity. It’s absolutely inexcusable. You need to be careful. It is nothing but evil.”

“Do you know what it’s called?” Noiz asked.

“I do,” Mink nodded, “They call themselves the RFA. I heard they were in the area and what better time to snuff them out?”

Immediately, Seven and MC stiffened up. Given everything they knew about Mink, they had every right to. _We may still possibly die here. _Seven laced his fingers between MC’s, almost as if he was saying his final goodbyes right then and there. But then, Noiz stepped in, “Both of you, unclench. And there’s more to the story than what you think, Mink.”

“What do you mean?” Mink was rightfully skeptical. Just because he knew Noiz didn’t mean he trusted him.

“I just recently hacked the RFA, Mink,” Noiz went on, “They’re not nearly the monstrous organization you make them out to be. I’ve seen everything they’ve done for the last week and for the most part, they’ve kept their noses clean. Not to mention, they have some of the best cybersecurity I’ve ever seen in my life. They’re on the up and up and I don’t think they’re hiding behind religion.”

“If you hacked the RFA,” Mink thought, “Then, do you think you could arrange a meeting with their leader?”

“I don’t know,” Noiz looked over at Seven and MC, “I mean, I guess it could be possible.”

“I want to meet the RFA leader,” Mink demanded, “Where is she?”

“She?” Noiz gave him a look, “The leader of the RFA is…”

“Noiz,” Seven stopped him, standing toe to toe with Mink, “You’re looking for Rika, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Mink put two and two together, “Is it safe to say you’re with them?”

“I don’t know,” Seven asked, “Is it? If I tell you I am, are you going to take me out execution style in front of these two?”

“No,” Mink shook his head, “Why would I do that when I could use you as a hostage?”

“Well played,” Seven gave him a nod, “Kill the witnesses, but keep one alive as an example. Got it. But I hate to tell you this, Mink, but the RFA doesn’t claim Rika anymore. And you’re not going to be able to talk to her.”

“Why not?” Mink slowly reached for his gun again from the holster on his hip, “Where is she?”

“She…” Seven bit his lip, letting out slow breaths, “She died. A couple years ago.”

“Isn’t that convenient?” Mink grumbled, driving his fist into a tree, “Just when I think I’m getting somewhere, I’m three steps back again…Dammit!”

“Even for you, Mink,” Noiz winced, “I would’ve thought you’d have more empathy than that.”

“Not for her,” Mink growled, “Do you think Rika only had her fingers in the RFA? You don’t think she didn’t branch out? Not even a little? Trust me. She did.”

“Rika kept a lot of secrets from the RFA,” Seven confirmed, “But the current organization isn’t like that. Everything’s on the table. For all the members.”

“Yet somehow,” Mink pointed out, “Noiz managed to hack you.”

“Like he said,” Seven repeated, “We have some of the best cybersecurity on the planet. Mostly because of the highly classified information we carry. And…Well…I’d be lying if I said Noiz wasn’t one of the best hackers I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting.”

“Flattery won’t get you very far, Seven,” Noiz brushed him off, “But it’s appreciated.”

“Ditto,” Seven chirped, “Please…Mink. Give us a chance.”

Mink thought it over for a minute or two, “Noiz called you Seven.”

“That’s right,” Seven nodded, “That’s just a codename.”

“Then, what’s your real name?” Mink asked.

“You can call me Seven.”

“I heard Aoba and Koujaku call him Luciel,” Noiz threw Seven under the bus.

“Baptismally speaking, yeah,” Seven nodded.

“Mink,” MC stepped in, calling a total audible, “Could you come back with Seven and me? Please?”

“MC,” Seven grabbed her hand, pulling her off to the side, “Could I have a word with you?”

“Wait,” MC shook him off, “Please. The RFA is definitely not as evil of an organization as you’ve made it out to be. And as a sign of our good faith, will you come back to our hotel with us? You did say you wanted to meet the RFA’s leader, didn’t you?”

“That’s right,” Mink nodded, “Why are you doing this?”

“Because,” MC smiled softly, “I know we’re not monsters. What Rika made the RFA to be…Even the current members of it fought against what kind of hellish monstrosity she made it to be. We’re not bad people, Mink. And I can prove it.”

Mink still wasn’t quite sure what to make of MC. Seven wasn’t very far off when he said she was everyone’s mom. Something about her presence had a certain maternal instinct to it and in all honesty, MC prided herself on it. She knew how to take care of her babies and it didn’t take much for her to figure people out. That’s what made her so good at her job in the first place. 

Mink didn’t know whether or not he liked her, but he could respect her. _If this little girl can get in my face without backing down after knowing I’ve been to prison and after I had a gun to her head, she’s got a set of stones on her. If the rest of the RFA members are like her, I think I can meet them, too, _“Alright…It’s MC, right?”

“It is,” she nodded, her sweet, innocent charms taking over and seeping into Mink’s heart. _Got him, _“Can you make me a promise, though?”

“Depends on what it is.”

“When we do go in,” MC stipulated, “Could you maybe leave your gun? And go in with an open mind? We’re not all like Rika.”

“Tell that to Yoosung, MC,” Seven teased.

“Not the time, Seven,” MC shot him an angry glare, knowing exactly what he meant. _And I thought Noiz was the one to tell not to sass the man with the gun. _

“Sorry,” Seven immediately shut up. 

“Alright, MC,” Mink nodded, “You have a deal. Can you promise me that the rest of them are completely unarmed?”

“Without a doubt,” she swore. _Is this a good time to tell him that Jaehee’s hands are registered as a deadly weapon? Probably not. I know I said we were doing this on completely good faith, but it’d be nice to have in case shit goes sideways._

“Alright then,” Mink agreed, “Take me to the RFA leader.”


	21. Under New Management

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys. So, there's a possibility of me going live on Instagram on Friday, if you'd care to join me. I don't know what we're doing, but we'll call it an anything goes kind of stream. If you want someone to hang out with Friday night, you're more than welcome to come hang out with me. K? K. xx

MC, Seven, Noiz, and Mink made their way back to the hotel. MC wasn’t sure what to think. _Ten minutes ago, this guy had a gun to our heads and now, we’re taking him to meet V. Awesome. _She had more than just their new friend on the brain. MC worried about where Yoosung had ran off to after he got Noiz’s money. She hated leaving him out in the wind like that, but after he had gone rogue, she had no doubt in her mind that he could handle business. 

“You guys,” MC stopped them at her door, “Stay here. I’ll be right back. I’m going to make sure he’s here.”

“Wait a second, MC,” Seven chimed in, “Didn’t you leave V with Jumin before we went out on this little operation?”

“Jumin does make a hell of a babysitter when I need one,” MC admitted, “Thank you, Seven. I’m a little scrambled today.”

“And she was the one in charge?” Mink leaned over to Noiz.

“Yes,” MC stood her ground, “She was. And still is as far as she’s concerned. Any more concerns about her leadership should be directed to her and not behind her back please. Thank you for coming. Drive safely.”

“MC,” Seven swooned, “Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?”

“Not lately,” MC shrugged, “But we did get fake married for a reason.”

“Can I keep you?”

“That’s the point of our fake marriage, Seven,” MC pounded on Jumin’s door, “Jumin, open up. It’s MC.”

“Coming!”

“Now,” MC reiterated, “You three, stay out here. I’ll be back shortly.”

“What are you doing?” Mink asked.

“I’m going to make sure it’s ok with our leader,” MC explained, “He usually does pretty well with new people, but new people that want us all dead might make him a bit skittish.”

“I don’t want you dead, MC,” Mink promised, “I just want to talk. I want to see if the organization is really as reformed as you say it is.”

“It is,” Seven chirped.

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Hello, MC,” Jaehee opened the door, looking a bit different than the last time she saw her.

“Holy shit, Jaehee…” MC’s eyes damn near fell out of her head, “What the hell happened to you?”

“You left her with Koujaku for an afternoon,” Noiz pointed out, “He can never say no to a project.”

“Tell me they’re not involved, too,” Mink hoped, catching a glimpse of Jaehee out of the corner of his eye. _Is…She in the organization? _

“They’re not entirely involved,” Noiz thought it over, “But they’ve been kind of involved.”

“Dammit…” Mink grumbled.

“MC,” Jaehee peeked out the door at the giant that Mink was…and definitely admiring the view, “What’s going on?”

“V’s here, isn’t he?” MC brought Jaehee back to Earth.

“Yes,” she nodded, “What about him?”

“I need to talk to him,” MC walked into Jaehee and Jumin’s room and shut the door behind her.

“Hello, MC,” V couldn’t hold back a smile if he wanted to. _Good. Things must have gone well. At least she’s back in one piece, _“How did it go?”

“Well,” MC bit her lip, “For the most part.”

“What happened?”

“Things were going fine,” MC told the tale, “Yoosung handled everything beautifully. Noiz has his money…more actually. Yoosung kind of went a little off script and ended up doubling his money. But that’s not the point. Just as we were getting things wrapped up, we found out they sent a proxy, too.”

“So,” Jumin figured, “We’re still at square one, just with more money in Noiz’s pocket?”

“Not exactly,” MC winced, “Because I’m pretty sure Yoosung may have arranged another drop at another time where Noiz will get the rest of his money, but only if it’s the one calling the shots. And then, there was the part where the three of us had a gun to our heads, but that’s not the point.”

“Excuse me?” V perked up, “What was that last part, MC? Because if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you, Noiz, and Seven had a gun to your head tonight.”

“We kind of did,” MC confessed.

“I knew you shouldn’t have gone on this mission, MC,” Jumin grumbled, “It was too risky to put you out there.”

“No,” MC settled him, “I’m fine. In fact, the guy that had the gun to our head may or may not be outside this room right now.”

“MC,” V cradled his face in the palm of his hand, “Normally, I trust your judgments, but…Why would he be here?”

“Trust me,” MC promised, “There’s a little more to the story here. Because we find out later that Noiz knows the guy.”

“And he’s working for Noiz?” Jumin assumed.

“No,” MC shook her head, “He’s not working for Noiz. Apparently, when Noiz and Aoba and Koujaku and Clear dealt with something similar to this ages ago, he was there, too.”

“Wait,” Jaehee thought back for a second, “The man that was out there with you, Seven, and Noiz…He’s the one that had the gun to your head?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh…” _Sure. Hot, but psychotic. That’s always the way it goes, isn’t it?_

“But he’s alright,” MC assured, “He left his gun elsewhere and he just wants to talk to V.”

“Me?” V asked, “Why? Did he say?”

“He wants to know about the RFA. He said he wanted to know if it was as reformed as we say it is.”

V thought it over for a moment or two, “And you say he’s safe, MC?”

“If he isn’t,” MC took his hand, helping him onto his feet, “I’ll take the bullet myself.”

“You’re not taking any bullets, MC,” Jumin put his foot down, catching MC off guard. _That’s weird. Jumin’s never been so protective of me before. I wonder what caused the sudden change of heart. _

“Because Mink left his gun behind,” she reiterated, “We’re fine. Is it alright if you meet with him, V?”

“I suppose so,” V allowed, “If you feel that strongly, MC, I trust you.”

“Take Assistant Kang with you,” Jumin demanded, “Just in case things go wrong.”

“Oh…” Jaehee jumped a bit, “Mr. Han, I don’t know if that’s…”

“It’s completely necessary,” Jumin ordered, “Go, Assistant Kang. Make sure it goes well.”

“Jumin,” MC played boldly, sitting on Jumin’s lap, “We’ll be fine. I appreciate the concern, but if things go wrong, Noiz has it handled. Like I said, those two know each other. I’m sure Mink isn’t going to pull shit in front of Noiz.”

“Well…”

“Jumin,” she laid a gentle kiss on his cheek, “We’ll be fine. V, are you ready?”

“As ready as I’m going to be,” V got up from his chair, reaching for MC’s hand.

“Stay here,” MC requested, “I’m going to send the others to our room, ok?”

“Alright.”

MC left V in Jumin’s room and walked back into the hall, catching Mink’s attention, “So? Did you get my meeting?”

“A couple rooms down,” MC nudged them all along, “Seven, you know where our room is, right?”

“Of course I do!” Seven bounced on his toes, “Are you sure about that, MC?”

“Positive,” MC nodded, “We’ll be there in a second.”

“Okie dokie!”

“V,” MC went back into Jumin’s room, taking his hand, “Are you ready?”

“Ready,” V nodded, “And MC…”

“Yeah?”

“This Mink,” V wondered, “He’s not some kind of mercenary, is he?”

_Oh, shit…Mink might actually be some kind of mercenary. I don’t know what he’s gone to prison for. He wasn’t going to think twice about icing us. No. Mink’s not a mercenary. I don’t think so anyway, _“No. We’re totally fine.”

“Fine,” V let out a heavy exhale, preparing himself for whatever may wait for him on the other side of the door. When MC walked in with V in tow, the room was quiet, despite having Mink and Noiz at the table and Seven on the bed. Laying strangely seductive for some ungodly reason. No one asked why Seven did what he did. But V knew better, “Gentlemen.”

“How’d you know we were here, V?” Seven squeaked, “Wizardry?”

“I heard more breathing than just MC,” V explained, “And if I listen really closely, I bet I could hear heartbeats, too.”

“I like to think it’s wizardry,” Seven kept his imagination running like a well-oiled machine. 

“Not wizardry,” V laughed a bit, “I’m not sure what to call it other than the other senses compensating for my sight.”

“You must be Jihyun…” Mink figured, shocking the rest of the room. Not many knew V’s real name, let alone spoke it out loud.

“Yes,” V confirmed, “That’s me. Is it safe to assume you’re Mink?”

“Yes,” Mink nodded, “That’s me.”

Knock, knock.

“Hold on,” MC put V into his chair and got the door, not expecting who was on the other side, “Saeran, what the hell are you doing here?”

“It’s good to see you, too, MC,” Saeran pushed by her, “Jesus, I stop by to say hi and this is the shit I get? What did I ever do?”

“Saeran!” Seven sang, “You missed it! We were doing spy stuff and Yoosung went nuts and then, this guy was threatening to shoot us in the head. It’s been a roller coaster of a night.”

“I’m not even going to pretend like I just processed what came out of your mouth, Saeyoung,” Saeran brushed him off, sitting on the bed, “What’s going on in here?”

“Another RFA member?” Mink assumed.

“Sort of,” Saeran shrugged, “I don’t think I’ve ever had the proper introduction.”

“At least you’re not Unknown in the chats anymore,” Seven noticed.

“Good point.”

“Any more I need to know about?” Mink asked.

Knock, knock.

“Jesus Christ,” MC got up again, her legs already tired, and got the door. Again. However, this time, she couldn’t be happier to see who stood on the other side, “Thank God, Yoosung, you’re ok.”

“Hi, MC,” Yoosung fell into her arms, “Can I come in here? I might pass out.”

“Of course you can, honey,” MC allowed, bringing him to the bed.

“You got my money, Yoosung?” Noiz asked.

“Here,” Yoosung threw Noiz a duffle bag, “It’s all there. Except for the other four hundred thousand yen. That’ll be tomorrow night.”

“Wunderbar.”

“This is all for now,” V decided, “The others can be filled in later. What did you want to speak to me about, Mink?”

“I met her once,” Mink opened up the door to the balcony, lighting his pipe. A pink cockatiel perched itself on the railing, “Where have you been?”

“Surveying,” the bird spoke.

“Neat!” Seven squealed, “Another Allmate! What’s your name, pretty birdy?”

“You don’t talk to my Allmate,” Mink ordered, “But that’s Tori. Tori keeps an eye on any undesirables that might be watching. Tori is how I found you three.”

“Mink,” V asked, “Who did you meet?”

“Rika,” Mink remembered, “I think that’s what her name was. We met once a long time ago after the Platinum Jail incident. I was lost. My purpose had been fulfilled. I didn’t know what to do with myself. And that’s when I met her. She told me that she wanted to show me an eternal paradise, but it was on Earth.”

“Bad idea, my dude,” Saeran took a lollipop out of his pocket and popped it into his mouth, “Take it from someone who’s seen that so-called paradise. It’s not a paradise. It’s miserable. It tears families apart and gives you nothing but false hope and it’s just basically her keeping you drugged up and complacent, so you can do her bidding. It’s…It’s awful. You do not want to be in her idea of paradise.”

“Hey,” Yoosung settled him, “Love her or hate her, Saeran, she’s still my family.”

“And she’s still awful,” Saeran stood his ground.

“Yoosung…” MC reminded him, “I know you want to keep those precious memories of her, but she was not a good person toward the end. If it weren’t for her, V would still have his eyesight. Seven and Saeran would’ve never been pitted against each other.”

“But MC…” Seven added, “If it weren’t for Rika, we never would’ve met you.”

“True.”

“So,” Mink turned to Saeran, “You sound like a voice of experience.”

“I am,” Saeran grumbled, “Unfortunately.”

“We’ve all been victims of Rika at some point,” Seven admitted, “She tried splitting up my brother and me. She went nuts and gouged V’s eyes out. She gave Yoosung a weird ass complex. Hell, she even used to hit on Jumin once in a while, too.”

“Excuse me?” V perked up, “When was that?”

“Jumin would never,” Seven assured, “You know that as well as I do. But I remember hearing at a party a long time ago when Rika was still alive that if she never hooked up with you, V, she’d try going after Jumin. But in the most Jumin way possible, he turned her down. Mostly because he said he wouldn’t want to do something like that to you.”

“I couldn’t picture it,” Yoosung admitted, “Jumin and Rika? No. That’s too weird.”

“Tell me about it,” V shuddered.

“If the organization has brought all of you nothing but pain,” Mink wondered, “Then, why do you still continue to operate? Why haven’t you destroyed the RFA?”

“Because,” V explained, “The organization is still doing good. Ever since Rika’s been gone, it’s been completely revamped. We are strictly a charity organization again and everything is ok. It’s not the evil cult it once was.”

“Besides,” Saeran added, “If you’re looking for the cult side of the RFA, you’re looking for an organization called Mint Eye. And that’s been disbanded for a while now.”

“That’s good,” Mink approved, “But there’s also been an RFA shelter company that’s been operating under the RFA name. A few have been running it for the past couple months. They see the new RFA as a gross interpretation of what her original message was and they’re looking to destroy it from the inside.”

“That’s why we’re here,” MC finally got a chance to sit down. But instead of sitting, she decided laying between Seven and Saeran was a better idea. Without hesitation, they both cuddled up to her, “They hired Noiz to hack us.”

“Of course they did,” Mink held his face in his hands, “And you just…decided to take the job?”

“Money’s money,” Noiz took Yoosung’s cut out of the bag, “E-league doesn’t always pay the bills.”

“You’re an information broker, Noiz,” Mink pointed out, “How do you not know who you’re working for?”

“They’re well-hidden,” Noiz admitted, “Some real dark web shit. Whatever it is, it’s not going to be pretty when we bring it out into the light.”

“And you just let the proxy get away?” Mink groaned, “Did I not teach you anything at Platinum Jail? That’s a rookie mistake. You could’ve kept the proxy as a hostage. Or at least for questioning.”

“But she said she didn’t know anything,” Yoosung spoke up.

And Mink looked at him like he was on drugs, “Who invited him? Your proxy lied, junior. Chances are, she’s going to run back to her boss and tell her what went down tonight.”

“She didn’t see us,” MC assured, “We were well-hidden.”

“The fact that you found us, Mink, was mere coincidence,” Noiz chimed in.

“But you tried, Yoosung,” MC gave him a little bit of validation.

“As much as I’d hate to do this to him,” Mink sighed out, “Noiz, call Aoba and Koujaku. And Clear, too. We’re going to need all hands on deck here. It’s better to be overprepared than underprepared. I’ll send Tori on another hunting trip and see what he can find.”

“Hold on,” Saeran jumped in, “Who said you were calling the shots here?”

“I’m sorry,” Mink argued, “Does anyone else here have a considerable amount of experience with things like this?”

“Well…”

The room fell silent.

“That’s what I thought,” Mink decided, “And that’s why I’m in charge. Noiz, make the call. MC, I want you with me.”

“Why?” MC wondered.

“Because,” a little smile crept across his face, “You’re alright. Luciel?”

“Yes, sir!” Seven sat straight up about to come out of his skin.

“You’re watching their movements, right?”

“Trying to anyway,” Seven nodded.

“Good,” Mink praised, “Keep doing that. You, too, Noiz. You! I don’t know…Do they call you Eight?”

Saeran did a quick double take, “Me?”

“Yeah.”

“No,” Saeran shook his head, “They call me Saeran.”

“Oh my god!” Seven started laughing hysterically, “They call you Eight now!”

“Saeyoung, if you live to see tomorrow morning, consider yourself lucky.”

“Saeran,” MC stopped it before it could start, “No. No casual murder.”

“What?” Noiz asked, “Do you prefer your murder more dramatic?”

“Ooh,” Seven applauded, “I see what you did there, Noiz. But there’s only two of us allowed to break the fourth wall here and that’s either MC or me.”

“Didn’t know I was stepping on anyone’s toes here,” Noiz backed off. As he should. Seven was right. And that’s as far as that needs to go.

“Hey, junior,” Mink nodded toward Yoosung, “Is there anything else you’re good at aside from playing fetch for Noiz?”

“I’ll be the proxy they’ll be expecting,” Yoosung said.

“That’s true,” Mink thought for a second or two, “You go with Luciel.”

“Yay!” Seven sang out, “You get to watch monitors, too, Yoosung! It’ll be just like a slumber party!”

“No,” Mink shut that down, “We all have something to do. Let’s get to it.”


	22. Mink's School of Self-Defense

Mink had more than accepted his new role as leader of the operation. Well…Perhaps accepted is the wrong word for it. Usurped may be more accurate. Not that he lacked good intentions. Mink knew what these kinds of things were like better than anyone else. And for his first order of business, Mink threw MC on the back of his motorcycle and brought her to the edge of town. Of course, with zero context to MC. From a legal standpoint, this could be considered kidnapping.

“Mink,” MC got off his motorcycle, waiting for the feeling in her legs to return, “Where are we?”

“The outskirts of Midorijima,” Mink lit up his pipe, “Do you have any sort of weapons training, MC?”

“Does pumping my own gas count?” she asked in attempts to make light of their dark situation.

“No.” However, Mink was a tough nut to crack.

“Ok then,” MC backed off, “So, what are we doing out here?”

“A quick, informal course in firearms,” Mink loaded his gun and put it in MC’s hands, “Point it at your target. Pull the trigger. Simple as that.”

“Really?” she looked over his pistol, “I don’t know, Mink. Don’t you have anything less…Explosive?”

“You’ll be fine,” he promised, “Do you see that can on the ground?”

“Yeah.”

Mink picked up the can and set it down on a rotting fence post, “I want you to shoot it. Wait for me to move and when I tell you, pull the trigger.”

“Ok.” _When I came to Midorijima, I thought we’d be able to go in, find whoever was trying to destroy the RFA, and get ice cream on the way home. Nowhere in that did I say learn to shoot a gun._

“Go!”

BANG!

MC felt a pop in her shoulder and a serious ringing in her ear. Once her heart stopped racing, she came to again, “How’d I do?”

“You shot the dirt,” Mink groaned, “Amateur.”

“I’ve never shot a gun before, Mink!” MC defended herself, “Forgive me for not being a natural marksman.”

“That is for damn sure,” he confirmed, “That particular pistol does have a hell of a kickback, though. That was my mistake for not warning you about it in the first place. How’d it feel? You ok?”

“Yeah,” MC scratched the inside of her ear, waiting for her hearing to come back.

“Good,” Mink gave her a nod, “I want you to try again. This time, watch the kick and remember that the can is on the post and not on the ground.”

“Ha, ha,” she rolled her eyes, lining up her target a little better, “Are you going to count down for me or should I just go?”

“Whenever you’re ready,” he allowed, making sure he was behind her.

And then…

BANG!

MC didn’t exactly hit the can like she was supposed to. However, the fence post may or may not be standing anymore, “How was that?”

“Better,” Mink couldn’t be prouder, “You still didn’t hit the can, but you did take the fence out, so I can’t fault you too hard about that.”

“Hey, Mink,” MC wondered, “How did you even get into this shit in the first place?”

“That’s kind of a vague question,” he thought it over, “Or are you just trying to make small talk? Because I’d rather not do small talk.”

“No,” she shook her head, “I’m genuinely curious. How did you end up getting wrapped up in this world of shady underground dealings and taking down organizations?”

“It’s a long story,” Mink perched himself on what was left of the rotted fence, hoping to God it didn’t break underneath him, “About ten years ago, my village got wiped out. Burned every last building to the ground.”

“Holy shit, dude,” MC winced, “Why?”

“Some asshole developer couldn’t get the land,” he explained, “So he figured he’d take it for himself. No one would miss a little reservation town. But the people would. The ones who lived there in the first place. But if they’re not around to miss it, then it’s fair game, right? Not all of us were lucky enough to get out, but I was. I started taking out anyone I could, trying to find that asshole developer at the top, so I could pass righteous judgment on him as well. Needless to say, that landed me in some legal trouble.”

“I can imagine,” she figured, “How many times have you been to prison?”

“Prison?” Mink thought back, “Well…Total time, I’ve done probably eight years? Over the course of three stints in and out. Mostly violent crime. Assault. Aggravated battery. Arson.”

“Holy shit, dude,” MC held her face in her hands, “And here we are, learning how to use a gun.”

“I already know how to do that,” Mink assured, “You’re the novice. I will admit, though. My one kill under my belt by my own hands? That one was totally justified. That’s why we don’t go to Platinum Jail. It’s not the happy land people make it out to be. The whole place could burn to the ground tomorrow and I’d feel nothing. Do you want to hear about my time in prison or are you going to keep cutting me off?”

“Sorry.”

“As I was saying,” he continued, “While I was in prison the first time, I was young. Didn’t know what to expect. Scared shitless. Everyone wanted to pick a fight with me for no reason other than the fact that I was new. I had to fend for myself, you know? It wasn’t pretty for my first week. Until I got moved. Only one person would talk to me instead of try to kill me with his bare hands. Only one person didn’t pick a fight. He was my mentor. And a good man. He was in for civil disobedience charges, so we were quite the match. He taught me a few things. Of course, we weren’t allowed firearms inside, but when we got out, he showed me a couple of his guns and where he kept them. Unfortunately, he died before we got to Platinum Jail. He got really sick and I tried helping him, but he was too far gone. Enough about that, though. What does your hand to hand look like, MC?”

“Uh…” MC wasn’t sure what to tell him. _This isn’t fair. He got his training while he was in prison and I’m lucky to make it to yoga twice a week. There was that one tai jitsu class I took with Jaehee once, but I twisted my ankle and called it quits._

“That’s what I thought,” Mink sighed out, preparing his stance, “Come here. Fight me.”

“What?” MC’s eyes nearly fell out of her head, “Mink, are you nuts? You’re twice my size!”

“You think that’s going to stop them?” he scoffed, “Then, we have more work to do than I thought. In all seriousness, MC, come at me.”

“Ok…” MC tried her best to throw a punch, but Mink grabbed her by the wrist and pinned her to the ground, “See?! I told you! You’re twice my size!”

“That shouldn’t stop you,” Mink explained, letting her go, “You’re very unassuming, MC. I wouldn’t think you’d be able to hold your own in a fight if you wanted to.”

“Alright,” MC got up, “Verging on the insulting territory, Mink. I’d rather not walk away from this in tears. It’s bad enough you may have sprained my wrist.”

“I didn’t sprain your wrist,” he assured, “If I wanted to sprain your wrist, I would’ve done it. You’re fine. But if you let them underestimate you, MC, then they’ll let their guard down. You need to learn the art of hustling. Because you’re smaller than me, your center of gravity is also lower. And because you’re smaller than me, you’re also going to be quicker. Now, I want you to try again. Fight me.”

“Ok,” MC pulled herself together, only to hissy slap the hell out of Mink’s chest.

Mink didn’t even flinch, “Wow, do we have a lot of work to do…What is this, a slumber party?”

“I’m sorry!” she squeaked, “I don’t fight! Mink, I’m glorified IT and V’s assistant. I’ve never had the opportunity to fight. Or the need to.”

“How do you protect yourself, MC?” he stared down at her.

“I already told you,” MC groaned, “I usually don’t have to. If I’m ever in that kind of situation or I’m doing something that might get dicey, I’ll have a bodyguard with me. Technically, he’s Seven’s assistant…and his maid…and whatever else Vanderwood deems necessary that day. He makes a hell of a brioche, too, when the mood strikes. 

“Oh, joy,” Mink held his face in his hands, “Alright, look. If you go to throw a punch, do you know where to punch?”

“Anywhere in the face?”

“Yes and no,” he corrected me, “The best place is between the eyes. The heel of your hand up to the nose does a good amount of damage if you put enough force behind it. In the jaw is always a good call. And if you do have to punch your way through something, having something in your hand is the way to go.”

“Why?” MC wondered.

“It’ll do more damage,” Mink explained, “Which would you rather be hit by, a closed fist or a closed fist with a brick in it?”

“Neither?” she crossed her fingers, hoping that was the right answer, “I see the point, though. “

“Very good,” he applauded, “Now, the hardest points on your body are your knee and your elbow. Use them to your advantage.”

“How do I know when to use my elbow and when to use my knee?” MC asked, soaking in as much information as she could get.

“Easy to remember,” Mink told her, “If they’re on their feet, get them on the ground in the quickest way you can, but for the most part, if they’re easier accessible from your waist up, then use your elbow. If they’re below your waist, use your knee. Are you ready to fight me again or do you have questions?”

“I got it,” she gave him a nod. _I still have to fight Mink? Come on, man. You’re still twice my size. At least I know what I’m doing now and I’m not completely flailing like a noodle._

And so, MC continued her hand to hand combat training with Mink, better learning how to throw a punch, a kick, and any other tools Mink could put in her arsenal. They spent the next hour turning MC’s body into a weapon she could use against anyone who dare crossed her. Given the fight they were about to walk into, they’d need all the help they could get. However, Mink’s training might have been…a bit…too much on MC.

“Mink…” she doubled over, entirely out of breath, “Can we stop? Please…For the love of God…I’m exhausted…”

“Yeah,” Mink wiped the sweat from his forehead, just as tired as she was, “We can stop. You did good, MC. Considering how we started, you’ve made a hell of one-eighty.”

“Thanks,” MC draped herself over Mink’s bike, blinking the spots out of her vision.

“And…” he spoke softly, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” she gave him a look, “What did you do?”

“For scaring you,” Mink stared down at the ground, “When we first met. It’s been a hard life for me for a long time and that’s just become my knee jerk reaction to mostly everything. Either kill or be killed. I had the same feeling when I met you and Luciel like I did when I met Rika. And if we’re being honest, that scared the shit out of me.”

“And she fed on that fear,” MC laced her fingers between his, knowing that feeling all too well, “It’s what she did with Saeran, with V, with Yoosung.”

“And I was yet another idiot who fell for it…”

“No,” she stopped him before he could go any further, “Don’t beat yourself up for something that bitch did. That wasn’t your fault, Mink. How were you supposed to know what she’d be like? How were you supposed to know that she was nothing but a snake in the garden disguised as an angel? What matters now is that you’re stopping whatever it was she’s started. Other than the RFA. Because I’m pretty sure you’re over the fact that we’re an _evil _organization.”

“Yeah,” Mink smiled a little, catching MC entirely off guard. And melting her heart, “You’re alright. I’m not sure how to feel about the others yet, but you, MC…You’re ok. Hell of a student. I’ll give you that much.”

“Thank you,” MC took a bow, “I try. Rika’s not who we need to be worrying about right now. You…Wouldn’t have any idea who we can point fingers at…Would you?”

“No,” he shook his head, “We’ll find out, though. Hopefully.”

“Hopefully,” she sat on the back of Mink’s bike, “We should go check in with the others. See if they made any progress.”

“Capital idea,” Mink threw his leg over the seat and the two of them left their training sanctuary behind. MC laid her face in Mink’s back, keeping her face out of the wind. For a moment, she shut her eyes and took everything in. Although, she wasn’t quite sure where the smell of cinnamon was coming from. Regardless, she nearly fell asleep right then and there. Between Mink’s warmth and her general exhaustion, MC would have every right to. Instead, Mink pulled up to the hotels’ front door and parked the bike. 

If they knew each other better, MC would’ve asked to ride on Mink’s back, but instead, she opted against it and powered through. Even though her legs felt like pudding. However, MC leaned against the wall, using it as an undercover crutch. She didn’t want Mink knowing how tired she was. She tried to stick out her training session as well as she could, but that didn’t necessarily mean knowing when to call it quits.

“Boys,” MC pushed through her room’s door, “We’re home!”

“Hi, MC!” Seven sang back.

“Hi, MC!” Yoosung followed suit.

“Hi, MC!” And Saeran as well.

“Welcome back, MC,” Noiz wasn’t as enthusiastic as the others, but he was still glad to see her back in one piece.

_Waddle, waddle…_

Suddenly, MC felt a tug at her leggings and immediately scooped up its source, “Good morning, Mai-Ling! It feels like ages since we last saw you.”

“Good morning, MC,” the sweet little panda nuzzled her face in MC’s neck, “It’s been a hard week.”

“I know, sweetheart,” MC cuddled her, “I know. It’ll be over soon. We hope anyway.”

“You have an Allmate?” Mink wondered, looking down at MC’s shoulder. Even someone as big of a hardass as Mink wasn’t immune to Mai-Ling’s precious charms. _It’s a machine. But…she treats it like a baby? I guess it is kind of cute. _

“Yeah,” MC cradled Mai-Ling in her arms, scratching at her belly.

“And…” Mink’s heart skipped a beat, “It’s a…panda cub?”

“Yep,” MC gushed, “She’s the best little girl in the whole wide world, too.”

“MC,” Mai-Ling awed, “You shouldn’t have…”

“Sometimes, you’re definitely your father’s child,” MC giggled, “That’s for sure. For a little while, Mai-Ling got sick. Because of _some people._”

“I apologized for that,” Noiz chimed in.

“Seven was up all night trying to fix her,” MC went on, ignoring Noiz entirely, “We were so scared we were going to lose her.”

“He did all that for an Allmate?” Mink wondered.

“And he’d do it all again,” MC assured, “Not that he’d want to, but I know he would. Enough of the depressing shit. How are things going, gentlemen?”

“Well, MC,” Seven jumped up onto the bed, “Good news, bad news. Which would you like first?”

“The…”

“No choice!” Seven continued, “The bad news is that the bag that had all of Noiz and Yoosung’s money in it? Yeah…That was bugged. We found a tracker in the bag.”

“They know where we are?!” MC freaked. _Shit…We’re screwed! _

“But!” Seven settled her, “Good news! We managed to reverse the signal. They might know where we are, but in a SHOCKING PLOT TWIST! We know where they are, too. We got the CCTV in front of the building. They are in Midorijima!”

“Wonderful!” MC let out a heavy sigh of relief.

“But more bad news,” Noiz added, “We did manage to hack CCTV. Unfortunately, the place is surrounded. Heavily. And I’m pretty sure the guards are all armed in one way, shape, or form.”

“So are we,” Mink assured, “It’s no problem. We can get through them. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve gotten through a shit ton of security, Noiz. With the five of us and then, any of the members of the RFA that can fight, which I know damn well we can add MC to that list…”

“Mink…” MC blushed, “We don’t need to get into that.”

“We should be golden,” Mink brushed her off, “So, what are we waiting for?”

“A decent attack strategy,” Noiz pointed out, “I wouldn’t suppose you had a good idea.”

“When have we ever not gone in, guns blazing?” Mink smirked a bit, “We’ll figure it out on the way. Let’s go!”


	23. Corrupting the System

The whole family (with the exception of V and Jumin. MC figured it’d be best to leave V behind, so he didn’t get caught up in the crossfire. And Jumin, so V wouldn’t be alone.) piled into the back of the RFA rental van (even though some of the members with more…sophisticated tastes…insisted on a limo. We don’t point fingers, but they all may be pointed at Jumin) with Mink behind the wheel. Everyone watched carefully where Mink turned and things kept getting darker and darker and more and more rundown. And it made MC a tad nervous. 

“Mink?” she chimed up from the back, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure, MC,” Mink pulled into what looked like the loading bay for a dilapidated warehouse, “What’s on your mind?”

“Where are we?” MC wondered.

“I know where this is,” Aoba looked out the window, “This is Scratch’s old hideout, isn’t it, Mink?”

“What’s left of it anyway,” Mink confirmed, “Hopefully, the armory’s still untouched.”

“Wait,” Koujaku thought for a moment, “You guys had an armory?”

“We had a badass armory,” Mink smirked, turning off the van, “The last time I saw it, we had a nice stock of anything we’d need to take care of business.”

“Should we be worried?” Seven asked, sweating buckets.

“You’re fine,” Mink promised, “It’s not like these are meant for you, Luciel. You’ll be fine. As long as you don’t get in the way.”

“I won’t!” Seven swore, “Pinky promise!”

“Good to know,” Mink pulled back one of the overhead doors and pulled a switch on the wall, letting the others in, revealing a beautiful stock of weaponry ranging from firearms to explosives and anything in between.

“Where the hell did this come from?” Saeran gasped, marveling at the sight behind door number one.

“Some of it was stolen,” Mink told him, “Some of it was bought. Some of it was surplus. You’d be amazed at the kind of things you can order online.”

“I hear you there,” Seven agreed, “Late nights with MC, a bottle of ginger ale, a credit card and internet access are not pretty.”

“What good is ginger ale going to do?” Mink wondered.

“Seven doesn’t drink,” MC pointed out, looking over the beautiful selection of knives hanging on the wall, “So, the closest he gets is downing some ginger ale once in a while.”

“That’s…so sad,” Mink cringed, “And you catch something from that?”

“A hell of a sugar buzz!” Seven squeaked.

“Hey, Mink,” Yoosung took a look around, “How do the police not find this place?”

“It’s well protected,” Mink explained, “And it’s the warehouse district. It’s not like cops come this way anyway. I’m just glad that everything’s still here. Now, other than MC, do any of you have experience with weaponry and/or fighting in general?”

The silence didn’t exactly instill confidence in Mink. Although, a glimmer of hope did shine from Saeran, “I do. Kind of. I’ve held a gun, but I’ve never shot it.”

“That’s comforting…”

Although, MC was concerned. Everyone was here (with the exception of V). _Why is Jaehee being so quiet? _She couldn’t stand by like that, “Jaehee has a black belt in Judo.”

“MC!” Jaehee turned bright red.

“Really?” Mink perked up. _Huh…Out of everyone here, I didn’t think she’d be the one to have fighting skills, let alone be a damn black belt in Judo._

“Yes,” Jaehee looked down at her feet. 

“Impressive,” Mink gushed, “Why wouldn’t you say anything?”

“It’s just…” Jaehee admitted, “I wasn’t looking for the judgment. Normally, when people find out I’m a black belt, it makes them nervous. Or they think I’m lying.”

“I’m not judging,” Mink assured, “We’re going to need all the help we can get and a black belt in judo is definitely not something I was expecting. It’s like I told MC earlier. Let them underestimate you.”

Jaehee wasn’t sure what to think about Mink, but her initial instinct was definitely changed, “Thank you, Mink.”

“Now,” Mink laid out their plan, “Koujaku and Aoba, you’re going to be the first wave. Take out as many as you can.”

“Got it,” Aoba nodded.

“We can manage,” Koujaku agreed, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Noiz, Clear, Saeran,” Mink went on, “You three are going to be the second wave. Clean up anything Koujaku and Aoba didn’t get.”

“Can do!” Clear chimed.

“Got it,” Noiz gave him a nod.

“Yep,” Saeran followed suit.

“Jaehee,” Mink’s voice made her jump. In more ways than one, “You and I are going to be MC and Luciel’s cover in case shit really hits the fan.”

“Ok,” Jaehee nodded.

“MC and I will go in,” Seven figured, “Infect their system, shut them down, and we’ll all be home in time for dinner, right? I’m thinking pizza.”

“For the most part, yeah,” Mink continued, “Junior, pretty boy, you guys are going to keep watch. Make sure the van stays where it’s supposed to and make sure nobody gets out of the compound. If they do, let us know.”

“Alright,” Zen nodded, “We can do that.”

“Easy,” Yoosung gladly took his job. _I’m out of the fight and I get to play Candy Crush on my phone. It’s going to be a good night. I hope._

“Alright then,” Mink loaded his gun, “Are we ready?”

“Hold on,” Seven raised his hand, “I have a question.”

“What is it, Luciel?”

“Why does Noiz get to fight?” Seven whined, “He’s the one who designed most the virus going into their system. He should be on this.”

“Would you like to fight in my place, Seven?” Noiz smirked, “Leave me alone with MC?”

Noiz hardly knew the guy, but he knew how to push Seven’s buttons. And his biggest button was no doubt MC. That snapped him out of it very quickly, “No way! I’m not leaving you with MC!”

“That’s what I thought,” Noiz giggled a little to himself, “And that’s why I’m fighting. Can you set your jealousy aside for a minute or two until we pull this off?”

“Yeah…”

“Alright then,” Mink checked everyone over, slipping MC a pair of brass knuckles, “Are we ready?”

“I’m ready,” MC slid her fingers into her new toy, “Shit, Mink…These are nice.”

“Remember what I taught you,” Mink smiled, “Make me proud.”

“Got it,” MC mirrored him.

“Good,” Mink gave one last nod, “We all know what we’re doing. Let’s move.”

MC and Seven stayed back at the van with Zen and Yoosung while Koujaku and Aoba headed inside to scope out whatever was going on. MC looked over Seven’s shoulder as he was knee deep in the coding of the virus, “Seven?”

“Yes, MC?” Seven’s fingers flew on the keyboard, “Is there something on your mind?”

“What are you doing?” she wondered, scanning over the coding.

“Nothing too crazy,” he promised, not breaking eye contact with the screen, “Don’t get me wrong. Noiz did a hell of a job and he knows what he’s doing.”

“But?” MC knew better.

“Let’s just say,” a dirty little smirk stretched across Seven’s face, “what he has in technical knowhow, he lacks in style.”

“What are you doing?” she repeated herself, this time sounding more like Seven’s mom than his concerned best friend.

“I’m programming a little something, something into the virus,” he explained, “Once it’s uploaded into the system, it’s going to self-destruct.”

“Seven!” MC squeaked, “What the hell? Why would you program that into it?”

“Pump the breaks, MC,” Seven settled her, “It’s not going to blow up or anything like that. I don’t have that kind of time. You know how in the original virus, it’s supposed to wipe the drive squeaky clean to the point where we could eat off it?”

“Yeah.”

“Well,” he went on, “When this wipes the drive, it’s going to replace every single file with cat pictures.”

“Really?” MC gave him a look, “Cat pictures?”

“Pretty great, huh?” Seven beamed, insanely proud of himself.

“Hey, Seven,” Zen cranked his neck back to the back half of the van, “Let it be known that no one has ever accused you of being normal.”

“Zen…” Seven wasn’t going to let that ruin his fun, “You don’t mean that. You’re going to make me blush.”

“Seven,” MC held her face in her hands, “You’re…A mess. I hope you know that.”

“Sister, you have no idea,” Seven joked darkly to himself. _Oh, MC…If only you could see into the dark recesses of my mind. You’d see just how big of a mess I really am. And I don’t think you’d stick around to see the aftermath. I don’t ever want to scare you away. And if you knew…I don’t want you to ever know…_

“I do,” MC laced her brass knuckled fingers between Seven’s with a sparkle in her eye.

In that moment, the dark recesses of Seven’s brain started to short circuit. _Error…Error…404 error. 707 not found. Must…Engage 606. Need…System reboot. Can’t control, alt, delete myself out of this. Shit. What did she just say? What the hell do I say back to something like that? Looks like she’s braver than I give her credit for. _Seven snaked his arm around her lower back, pulling her into his shoulder, “After we get out of this, ok? We got a job to do, MC, and we need to do this right. Then, we’ll talk about that. Promise.”

“Ok,” she nodded, curling into him some more, “Hey, Seven…?”

“Yeah?”

“What…” MC didn’t even want to give that a thought. But she had to know, “What if we…?”

“Shh…” Seven stopped her before she could start. _She’s scared. I know she is. But at the same time, I know it’s not because of me. She’s so scared and there wasn’t much I could say to make her feel better. But the least I can do for her is be here, _“Trust me, MC. That’s not a road you want to go down. We will get out of this. You know how I know?”

“How?”

“Because,” he promised, “There’s no other way this can end. We’re going to get out of this, MC. It’s a simple job. Go in, plug in the USB drive, squeegee their drives clean, and go home. Possibly stop for ice cream on the way. We’ll see how everyone’s feeling. What do you think? Sound like a plan?”

MC thought it over for a moment or two, “I believe I was promised pizza.”

“Pizza, it is,” Seven gave her a nod. _That’s my girl, _“And ice cream after?”

“Hell yeah,” she smiled, already starting to feel better about the fire they were about to walk into.

“Hey, guys?” a voice barked from the com system, “Can you hear me?”

“Hi, Koujaku,” MC jumped on her mic, “It’s good to hear your voice. What’s up?”

“We’re good,” Koujaku reported, “It was just a few guys in the front. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Clear,” Mink jumped in.

“What?” Clear chimed.

“Not…” Mink grumbled, “Not _you, _Clear. I meant the room. The room is clear.”

“But I’m Clear…”

“MC,” Seven begged, his heart about to burst out of his chest, “Can we keep him?”

“After this is all over,” MC stipulated, “We’ll see.”

“You guys are good to go, MC,” Noiz called, “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Awesome,” MC got a sudden burst of energy, “On our way. You guys be careful.”

“We got your back, MC,” Jaehee promised, “You guys be careful, too. Mr. Han would never forgive me if we came back without you.”

“What about me, Jaehee?” Seven wondered, “I’m sure Jumin would be devastated if I was gone, too.”

“Actually, Seven,” Jaehee winced, “We talked about that. Mr. Han said that if you were hurt in any way, shape, or form, he would know that Elizabeth III’s safety would be completely insured.”

“Jumin Han, you cold, cold mistress,” Seven clutched his chest, “How could he say such a thing? As long as Elly’s safe, that’s all that matters.”

“Who’s Elizabeth III?” Aoba wondered.

  
“Jumin’s cat,” MC explained, “He has a deeply unhealthy relationship with her. Seven puts a wedge between the two. It’s a long story. We don’t ask. But yes, we understand it’s the weirdest goddamn love triangle anyone will ever see.”

“Whenever you’re ready, MC,” Mink brought them back, “You and Luciel got a straight shot to their main computer. Good luck.”

“Thanks, Mink,” MC turned her mic off and looked over at Seven, “You ready?”

“Is there any other way to be right now?” Seven jumped up and hopped out of the van.

“Alright, boys,” MC readjusted her brass knuckles, “You two play nice. Zen, no bragging about your love life to Yoosung.”

“I won’t,” Zen promised.

“Yoosung,” MC ordered, “No rambling about LOLOL to Zen.”

“Yes, boss,” Yoosung nodded.

“Pray for us,” MC got out of the van and followed Seven into the building. 

“Hey, guys?” Seven asked, “If any of you know where exactly the mainframe computer is, I’d really appreciate some directions.”

“Take the door to the right,” Noiz directed him, “Down the hall, three doors on the left. Turn down that hallway, go straight. There’s a door at the end of the hall. That’s where the mainframe computer is. Any old port will do. Jaehee and Mink will be waiting for you when you get there.”

“Thank you, Noiz,” MC chirped.

“No problem.”

MC and Seven made their way down the twisty, turning halls Noiz sent them down and searched for the mainframe computer, stepping over unconscious body after unconscious body. By the looks of things, Aoba, Koujaku, Clear, and Noiz had made quite the mess before they got here. But they couldn’t afford to think about that right now. As Seven said, they both had a job to do. And the mainframe computer sat directly in front of them. 

Seven gave MC the USB drive, “Would you care to do the honors, my dear MC?”

“It’d be my pleasure,” MC stuck the USB drive into the port and waited for the virus to finish uploading, “There. Job well done.”

“Job well done,” Seven shook her hand, “It’s been an honor and a privilege to work with you, MC.”

“You, too, Seven.”

“As touching as this is,” a voice spoke in the darkness, “The job isn’t quite done yet.”

“Did you really think it’d be that easy?” another spoke, “No, no, no. We can’t have that. Hersha, would you like some new toys to play with?”

All that showed in the dark shadows were a glowing pair of blue eyes and the shine of a pair of fangs.


	24. Chapter 24

When MC finally woke up again, she took a quick look around the room. _Not a good idea. That made me dizzier than I thought it would. It’s dark in here. The last thing I remember was seeing those two guys and then…It’s blank. I need to get out of here. _Although, before she could even get up, she had a horrible realization. Something was missing. Or in her case, someone.

“Seven?” MC whispered. _Maybe he just can’t hear me. _MC spoke a little louder, “Seven?”

“MC…?” That wasn’t Seven’s voice. However, it was a much-needed friendly face.

“Clear…” she smiled, “It’s so good…”

“Shh…” he settled her, cradling her in his arms, “Go back to sleep, MC.”

“I…can’t…” MC heard music coming from somewhere, but she couldn’t place it. She didn’t want to. Because in that moment, she suddenly felt content. _This…Is nice…And peaceful…Why am I so happy? Two seconds ago, I was horrified, but now…This is so nice, _“Clear…Where’s Sev…en?”

“Don’t worry about him,” he cradled her, “You’ve worked so hard for so long, MC. Rest. You deserve it. Let all your worries just go away.”

“Ok,” she swayed a little, in a complete state of utter bliss, “Hey, Clear, I think the…the guys…They might have…drugged me. Either that or…I just feel _really good._”

  
“That’s good,” he praised, “You’re not drugged, MC. You’re ok.”

“But see,” MC’s words started to slur together, “That’s the thing. Even when I feel my best, I’ve _never _been this…good.”

“That’s because you earned this,” he assured, “You deserve this. What you’re feeling right now, don’t fight it. Just let it happen.”

“Okie dokie…”

“And if you feel tired,” he insisted, “Then, why don’t you go back to sleep? It’ll be ok. I’ll keep watch over you.”

“Ok…” MC laid her head in his chest, her eyes getting heavier by the second. _Maybe Clear has a point. Maybe I should just…Take a nap. _

“WHERE IS SHE?!” an angry voice thundered from the next room, shaking MC to her core.

Just enough to snap her out of her strange high. _Hold on a second. That sounded a lot like Seven, _“Clear, where’s Seven?”

“He’s busy.”

MC got a better look at Clear’s face. Or what she thought was Clear’s face. His gas mask was nowhere to be found and instead, a different mask covered his face. _That’s not Clear’s mask. _ And immediately, she shoved him off her, “You’re not Clear.”

“It’s about time you figure that out,” Not Clear scoffed at her. Instead, he shot a series of flashing lights in her eyes, “Follow the pretty lights, MC. Look. Aren’t they pretty?”

“So…” MC tried to fight it, but alas, her efforts were fruitless, “Pretty…”

“And you keep soaking it up like a sponge,” he pulled her closer, “Humans are so pathetic. To think, he wants to be like you so bad. What I can’t comprehend is why. I suppose he’s pathetic, too. Nothing but faulty hardware. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had the pleasure of trying to destroy him. I have to give him credit, though. He’s quite the cockroach.”

“Where’s…” MC wasn’t going to let him stop her, “Where’s Seven?”

“You’re trying to fight it, huh?” Not Clear increased the intensity of the lights and started playing music to go along with it, “No, no, no, sad, little human. I can’t have you that lucid. When you get lucid, you get scrappy and I was told not to fight you. Just to give you this and be on my way. How sad the first dose didn’t take as much of a hold on you as I wanted it.”

MC couldn’t help herself. She listened to the gentle music coming from her captor, sinking deeper and deeper into her false sense of security and nearly turning into a drooling mess, “Who…are you?”

“You can call me Alpha,” he introduced himself, brushing the hair out of MC’s face, “No, I’m not Clear. However, you could call me his brother. In a way. We were manufactured by the same person. The only difference between the two of us is that I turned out the way we were supposed to. He was the defective one. Our other brother, who unfortunately perished the last time the three of us were in near proximity to each other, was more like me than him. I used to be Alpha One, if you can believe it. But that’s over now. You need to go back to sleep, MC. We’ll need you later, but for now, go back to sleep like a good girl and everything will be fine.”

MC still listened to the music. Although, the melody changed. This was much gentler than the other. And it put her more at ease. Less anxious, but more…herself. _Jellyfish…Sway, sway, swaying…In between the waves…It’s so nice. Not like Alpha’s, but I like this one better. Much better. _Out of the corner of her eye, MC noticed a shadow. One that looked similar to the one in front of her. Only this one had something protruding from where its face would be. _Don’t show change, MC. Stay tired. Not that it’d be hard to do._

Meanwhile, in the room next door, Seven wasn’t getting nearly the same treatment. The taste of blood filled his mouth and an intense rage filled his heart. If Seven hadn’t been restrained, people would die at his hand with no remorse. Instead of the gentle care of Alpha, Seven was left with the ones who were truly to blame for everything. For the initial hacking of the RFA. For Noiz’s employment. For the whole mess.

“WHERE’S MC?!” Seven growled, feral like a junkyard dog.

An open palm found its way across his cheeks. Courtesy of the asshole that had Seven and MC separated in the first place, “I don’t remember giving you permission to speak. Your precious MC is being taken care of. You don’t need to worry about her. You’re going to tell us what you just put into our system.”

“Hold on, Trip,” his partner stopped him, “We may need him. Don’t rough him up too much.”

“Sorry…”

“Who are you?” Seven ignored the stinging sensation in his face and calmed himself down enough to speak to them.

“We’re what the RFA was supposed to be,” the guy in the glasses explained, “You can call me Virus. And going by the red marks on that cute little face of yours, you’ve met Trip. We just wanted people to see paradise. Is that so wrong of us?”

“The way you went about it was a little sketchy,” Seven pointed out, spitting the excess blood out of his mouth.

SLAP!  
  


“A real smartass, huh?” Trip smirked, ready to dish out as much as it took.

“You’re Luciel, aren’t you?” Virus wondered, lifting Seven’s chin up with the toe of his shoe, “Yeah. There’s no way you can’t be.”

“So, you know my name,” Seven brushed him off, “What’s that going to get you?”

“It can get us plenty,” Virus sat next to him, “Can we talk? Just the two of us?”

“What about your muscle?” Seven nodded toward Trip, “Is he just going to stand there with that, ‘I’ve been constipated for the last week and don’t know who to tell about it’ look on his face or is he going to join in on this conversation, too?”

Trip pulled back, ready to turn that slap into a hard punch. However, Virus stopped him before anything could happen, “Is it true?”

“Is what true?” Trip asked.

“Have you been constipated for the last week and don’t know who to tell about it?”

“No!” Trip jumped on the defensive, “Don’t we have more important things to worry about?”

“Your health is important to me, Trip,” Virus assured, “I needed to know.”

“Not that much!” he squeaked, “Don’t you see what he’s trying to do, Virus? He’s trying to…”

“Distract us in order to take attention away from him or to get us fighting,” Virus nodded, “A house divided and all that. Come on, Trip. Cut me a little slack. I deserve a little credit once in a while, don’t I?”

“Dammit,” Seven grumbled under his breath, “What do you want with the RFA?”

“Think of it, Luciel…” Virus put a hand on Seven’s thigh.

“You are not allowed to call me that,” Seven snapped, “And get your hands off me.”

“Right now,” Virus moved up to Seven’s face, cradling his cheek in the palm of his hand, “You’re not in much of a position to be making demands. So, unless you want to be lunch at the claws of Welter, you’ll behave yourself.”

“Who’s Welter?” Seven asked.

“Welter…” Trip called out, “Come.”

Out of the shadows, a massive black lion walked out, strong and proud. Seven’s eyes almost fell out of his head, “Let me guess. Allmate?”

“Isn’t he beautiful?” Trip gave Welter’s mane a good petting, “And he’s a good kitty. When he wants to be. You don’t want to see what he’s like when he’s a bad kitty.”

“You’re so cute!” Seven awed, “Can one of you two at least undo one of these cuffs? I want to pet the pretty lion!”

Welter laid down next to Trip’s feet, his tail gently swaying in the wind. Trip looked down at him, “Really? One little compliment and you’re butter? Whatever happened to lions being loyal?”

“You might as well meet Hersha, too,” Virus let out a piercing whistle and put his hand down to the ground. A long, dark snake wrapped itself around his arm.

“You know,” Seven couldn’t help but gush. Especially when Welter started inching closer toward him, “When I was picking out an Allmate, I wanted to get a lion, too. But a lion would be too hard to get back onto the plane home, so I had to get something smaller.”

“Did you consider a snake, too?” Virus asked.

“No,” Seven shook his head, trying to get a little pet for Welter, “I couldn’t do that either. First of all, a snake on a plane? I feel like there’s a whole movie saying why that wouldn’t be a good idea. But even more importantly, MC’s horrified of snakes. I can’t blame her. Speaking of MC, what did you do with her? When you say she’s being taken care of, is she _really _being taken care of? A little vague, guys.”

“When we say she’s being taken care of,” Virus clarified, “You can believe us. She’s being taken care of by a friend of ours. He’s keeping her incredibly sedated and she doesn’t even know it. It’s really an interesting process. He starts by…”

“You’re drugging her?!” Seven jumped back on the angry train, ready for it to derail at any moment, “What are you giving her?!”

“We’re not here to talk about MC right now,” Virus let Hersha slither all over Seven. He coiled himself up in Seven’s lap. Seven did his best to keep his head about him. _Snakes…Why did it have to be snakes? Of all things, why did it have to be snakes? I know I’m not as bad as MC, but that didn’t mean I’m a big fan of them either, _“We really are the good guys here, Luciel.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Seven pointed out, “You got me in handcuffs. Under any other circumstances, I’d call you kinky, but this is like…legit use for handcuffs, so I can’t really call you good guys for that. Then, there’s been the MULTIPLE hits to this piece of art that’s going to need a little more than some coconut oil to fix. I haven’t even gotten _started _on what you may or may not have done to MC.”

“We haven’t laid a hand on her,” Virus promised, “Nor has our friend. The drug that’s keeping her nice and calm is more or less a series of light patterns and sounds that have a mood-altering effect on her mind. That’s what’s keeping her so calm. I told you it was interesting. Now, Luciel, I want you to think about it from our perspective. Can you do that for me?”

“On one condition,” Seven bargained.

“And what’s that?”

“You let me pet the lion,” Seven demanded, “Just once. I don’t ask for much. After that, you can tell me as much or as little as you want.”

“Fine,” Virus undid one of Seven’s handcuffs and Welter nestled his head in Seven’s hand.

“Oh, look at you!” Seven melted inside, “Who’s a big boy? And such a good boy, too, aren’t you?”

Welter rolled onto his back and Seven got at his belly. Finally, Trip came between them, “Alright. That’s enough.”

“Now, Luciel,” Virus redid Seven’s handcuffs, “Think of it this way. When you have a cold, you take medicine, don’t you?”

“Usually,” Seven nodded. _Normally, MC has to force it down my throat, but I digress. And she yells at me when I forget. _

“The RFA is in pain,” Virus explained, “It hurts. It needs us. The RFA needs a little Morphine…”


	25. Memories of the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Gun violence, suicide mentions, disorientation

“Shh…” Alpha cradled MC in his arms, softly stroking her hair, “Be a good girl for me, MC. Don’t fight it anymore. There’s no need to. You deserve the rest.”

“But,” MC’s stubbornness was stronger than Alpha gave her credit for. Little did she know, his power was stronger, “Seven…Where is…?”

“You don’t know?” Alpha asked, upping the frequency, “He left you, MC. You’re with us now. He wanted you out of the fight, so please. For his sake. Get some rest.”

MC continued listening to the music coming from Alpha, falling deeper into a peaceful trance. She couldn’t fight it anymore. Finally, MC shut her eyes and drifted off into sweet slumber. After everything she had been through in the last month…Noiz, his employers, espionage, Mink holding a gun to her head, Alpha…she earned it. This was going above and beyond her assisting duties V paid her for. A little nap wouldn’t kill her.

When she woke up again, MC looked down at her feet. _When did I get to a bed…? And when did I change shoes? _But the more MC inspected her surroundings, the more nervous she got. _Why in the hell am I in a wedding dress?! _But then, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. A little smile crept across her face. _That’s right. Today’s the day, isn’t it? But if today’s the day, then what happened with…_MC’s mind went completely blank. _Wasn’t there something else? It’s like something isn’t finished. _But that didn’t matter. MC got up from the bed and found a mirror, getting an eyeful of the beauty that looked back at her.

_That’s me, isn’t it? Of course it is. Who else would it be? _MC did a little spin, watching her wedding dress billow out from under her. _I’m getting married today! I can’t wait! This has definitely been a long time coming, hasn’t it? Ever since the first time we met…Well…If it wasn’t for his brother, we never would’ve met in the first place. Today’s the day. Today’s the day! But if today’s the day…Then, why does it feel so off?_

“MC?” a familiar voice broke the silence, “Are you ready?”

“I guess,” MC smiled at the man behind her in the reflection, “Hi, boss.”

“Hi,” V pulled MC into his chest, “You’re absolutely beautiful…”

“How would you know?” she wondered.

“Call it a lucky guess,” he kissed the top of her head, “I’ll ask you again. Are you ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” MC took one last breath, “It’s really happening today, isn’t it?”

“Last time I checked,” V took her arm, “Come on. Of all things we could possibly be late for, this wouldn’t be the best.”

“I know,” she giggled a bit. _This really was happening today, wasn’t it? Maybe, _“Hey, V…Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure,” he allowed, “What is it?”

“There’s something…not right,” MC admitted, “I can’t put my finger on it, but am I the only one thinking that?”

“It’s prewedding jitters, MC,” V settled her, “Everything’s fine. Don’t deny yourself this little bit of happiness.”

“It’s not that,” she kept thinking harder, “It’s…You’re probably right. Prewedding bullshit. Got it.”

“Alright then,” he gave her a nod, “Now, can we go to your wedding now?”

“Ok,” MC shook off any nerves she may have had and pulled herself together. _Happiest day of my life. That’s what I’ve always been told. Never been to a bad wedding myself. Who’s to say mine won’t be the best one?_

And with that out of her head, MC and V stood at one end of the aisle while MC’s future husband stood at the other. Her legs had nearly given out on her a time or two, but she still managed. Although, if she had remembered correctly, she was supposed to be the one in the veil. _Why should I expect anything different? This is definitely the man you’re marrying, MC. And you wouldn’t have it any other way._

“Should you lift my veil first,” MC teased, “or should I lift yours?”

“Ladies first…” Seven insisted.

“You’re a dork,” she giggled, lifting his veil, revealing Seven’s quickly reddening cheeks. 

“I’m your dork,” he pointed out, doing the same, “Ready? You and me?”

“You and me.” MC held his shaking hands, doing her best to keep him steady. _This is it. I’m actually marrying Seven…It’s about damn time. _

“No, MC,” Saeran stepped around his brother, “You’re not marrying him today. Or ever.”

“Wait…” MC wondered, “Saeran, what are you doing?”

“I can’t let you do this,” Saeran took MC’s hands away from Seven, “MC, you can’t marry Saeyoung.”

“Why not?”

“Because,” Saeran stared down at his feet, “Because I love you. I always have. And there is no way in hell I can let you marry him. He’s not right for you.”

“Saeran, what the hell?” Seven gave him a look, “I thought we talked about this. I had dibs on MC.”

“That’s too bad,” Saeran pulled a gun out of his inside jacket pocket and held it to his brother’s head. 

“Saeran, what are you doing?” MC squeaked, “We don’t have to pull a gun like that. We can talk about this.”

“Choose, MC,” Saeran demanded, “Him or me?”

“Saeran…” she tried to take the gun from him, but to no avail.

“Choose!” he snapped, “Either he dies or I do because there’s no way the other one’s going to be able to live without you. Do you see the kind of hold you have on us? Do you know how much it hurts having to stand in the background while you and Saeyoung get to run off and have your happily ever after? Does it ever dawn on you who you’re leaving in the cold shadows? Or do you just not care?”

“Saeran,” MC’s voice broke, “I don’t want either one of you to die. This is a little extreme.”

“I don’t think it’s extreme enough,” Saeran’s eyes went cold and lifeless, “You can’t keep jerking me around, MC. It’s not fair! After all the shit that Saeyoung’s done, I should shoot him anyway.”

“We’ve gotten past that,” she thought, “We’ve talked this over.”

“Yeah,” Saeran scoffed, “And what was your solution to that? Pump me full of medication that I don’t need to keep me complacent.”

“No, Saeran!” MC argued, “That’s to keep you from flying off the handle like this! You know this is wrong!”

“Do I?” Saeran wondered, “Because I don’t think so. You played the wrong route, MC. You picked the wrong ending. And now, Saeyoung’s going to pay the price. This is how this is going to go if you don’t pick. I’m going to lodge a bullet in his brain. Then, one in you. Then, one in myself. I told you we’d be together in paradise, MC. And I’ll be damned if I go back on that promise.”

“Put the gun down, Saeran…” a familiar voice called from the door, “Nobody’s shooting anybody.”

“Aoba…” MC’s heart skipped a beat, “What are you doing here?”

“Ending this wedding,” Aoba promised, “Can I have a word with you for a moment?”

“Yeah,” MC stepped down from the small platform, only to have Saeran’s tight grip around her wrist, “Ow!”

“Which one is it going to be, MC?” Saeran growled, waving the gun back and forth between her options, “Him or me? Loser gets shot.”

“Saeran, no,” Aoba stepped between them, “I need to see MC. It’ll only be for a moment. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to you, MC.”

“What’s going on?” MC sobbed, “Why is this happening?”

“You need to understand something,” Aoba held her face between his hands, “I couldn’t exactly get to you through…Traditional means, so please forgive me.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re under the control of a drug called DyE,” Aoba explained, “It enhances whatever your current emotion may be. It’s understandable that you were so scared. And that’s ok. However, the DyE latched itself onto your fears and amplified them. Right now, you’re trapped inside your head with your greatest fear. It’ll be ok. Clear’s trying to reverse it, but he can only go so far.”

“Clear…” MC remembered, “Clear’s the one who put me under.”

“No,” he shook his head, “That’s not it at all. Clear’s not the one who put you under. Alpha is.”

“So, what?” she wondered, “Are you trying to tell me Clear has some sort of evil twin?”

“I know it sounds strange,” Aoba winced, “But yeah. Kind of. It’s a long story. I know that this wedding feels real. That Saeran’s threat feels real. But it’s not. You know what, though? There is something here that couldn’t be more real. I’ve seen you and Seven together many, many times, MC. The only real thing in this dream is your love for Seven. There’s no doubt in my mind that you love him. And that he loves you more than anything else in the whole world. Saeran’s not going to kill him. Saeran’s going to be the best man at your wedding and you know it. He’s not going to pull a bullshit stunt like this. From what I understand, he’s come too far to start backsliding now. I promise you. Everything’s going to be ok.”

“How can you be so sure?” MC wiped the tears out of her eyes.

“Because,” Aoba wrapped his arms around her, giving MC the hug she so desperately needed, “I’m going to destroy this fear you have. I’m going to destroy the thought of Saeran killing Seven. I’m going to destroy you. And I promise you’re going to be ok. Can you trust me?”

“Yes,” she nodded, “And Aoba, can you make me a promise?”

“Of course.”

“When this is all said and done,” MC requested, “Can you take me to him? Wherever he may be?”

“I promise,” Aoba cradled her, putting his hands on her head.

When MC woke up again, she took one more look around the room. No more church. No more flowers. No more threats of Seven’s death. Because MC knew deep down in her heart of hearts that she was going to pick Seven. There was no doubt about that. But she couldn’t tell Saeran that. She didn’t want to lose her brother, too. Although, when she woke up again, one of the first faces she saw just happened to be his.

“Saeran…” MC jumped out of her skin, backing away from him as quickly as she could.

“It’s alright, MC,” Aoba caught her, “It’s ok. It’s over…She’s going to be a little skittish for a second, Saeran. Don’t take it personally. She’s still coming down from the DyE. MC, you’re ok. And that’s the Saeran you know and love, not what the DyE made him to be.”

“What the hell did she see in her head, Aoba?” Saeran squeaked.

“That’s not something I’m telling you,” Aoba kept his mouth shut, “But MC, we’re in reality now. This isn’t in your head. You’re ok.”

“I’m…” MC felt around the ground, poking at Aoba. Then, at Saeran. More particularly at his pockets. _It doesn’t hurt to be careful, _“Saeran, empty your pockets.”

“What?” Saeran gave her a look.

“Empty your damn pockets!” MC screeched.

“Just do it, Saeran,” Aoba insisted, “It’s all part of the process at this point.”

“Alright,” Saeran took everything out of his pockets down to the last piece of lint. In front of him, he had a paper clip, some loose change, his phone, a lollipop, and an old receipt from a convenience store back home, “That’s it. That’s all I got.”

“That’s it?” MC looked it all over.

“That’s it.” Without another thought, MC threw herself into Saeran’s chest, hugging him tight, “That’s better. Are you ok, MC?”

“I’ve been better,” MC admitted, “But damn, it’s good to see you, Saeran.”

“That’s comforting,” Saeran still wasn’t sure what was going on, but it didn’t matter. He had MC in his arms and everything was ok.

“You made me a promise, Aoba,” MC reminded him, “You promised me you’d take me to Seven. Now, where is he? Saeran, where’s your brother?”

“I should keep a bell on him,” Saeran shrugged, “But I think he’s in the room next door.”

“Wait,” MC wondered, “And Clear. You said Clear was here, too.”

“Clear’s had to stay out of sight as much as possible,” Aoba flagged him over, “He didn’t need to get captured by Alpha. Or Trip and Virus for that matter.”

“Who?”

“You’ll see,” Aoba assured, “But for now, I think you were promised Seven, right?”

“Please,” MC begged, “I just…I need to see his face again.”

“What?” Saeran teased, “Was mine not good enough?”

“Sorry, Saeran,” MC bit her lip, “I love you, but…”

“Yeah, yeah,” he brushed her off, “It’s not his. I get it. It’s fine, MC. I know. And…Well…If it keeps Saeyoung out of my hair, you’re doing me a favor.”

“Don’t think this means we’re leaving you behind,” MC assured.

“I know,” Saeran pouted, hiding a little smile, “Go. Go find Saeyoung.”

“Got it,” MC got on her feet, leaning against Aoba, “Take me to Seven.”


	26. Mink's Secret Weapon

As promised, Aoba helped MC to find wherever Seven may possibly be hiding in this warehouse. MC didn’t like not knowing where he was. When Seven was left alone to his own devices, that’s when he’d get into shenanigans. But given their current circumstances, MC was on even higher alert. But then, out of absolute nowhere, a dizzy spell hit and made MC drop to her knees.

Both Saeran and Aoba rushed to her side, “MC? Are you ok?”

“My head hurts, Aoba,” she held her face in her hands, “It hurts so much. Why does it hurt?”

“Do you remember me telling you that I had to use unconventional methods to get to you?” Aoba explained.

“Yeah,” MC nodded, immediately regretting it.

“Well,” Aoba dug a bottle of medicine out of his pocket and shook two tablets into his hand, “Here. Take this. I promise it’ll help with the headache.”

“Ok,” she threw the pills down her throat, “What unconventional methods did you have to use on me, Aoba?”

“It’s hard to explain,” he admitted, “But I can insert my consciousness into someone else’s consciousness. It’s kind of like a way of reading your mind, but if I make one wrong move, I could also render you a drooling mess for the rest of your life. There would be no reset button on that.”

“I thought you said you knew what you were doing, Aoba!” Saeran snapped.

“I did,” Aoba assured, “That’s why she’s not a drooling mess. While I was in your head, I could destroy a piece of your subconscious that was otherwise holding you back. That’s how I took care of your bad DyE trip. It’s called Scrap.”

“I’m going to pretend like I understood that,” MC let it go. _Maybe I should just not look the gift horse in the mouth. _

“I know it’s hard to understand,” Aoba agreed, “When I first found out, I could hardly wrap my head around it, too. But I got to understand what kind of power I had. And that’s how I got you out of your head. Alpha left you in there with hopes that I wouldn’t find you. At the end of the day, I’m the best weapon we have.”

“But you’re not a weapon, Aoba,” MC took his hand, “You’re a person.”

“That’s very sweet of you, MC,” he held her steady, “Hey, Saeran, can you and Clear go keep watch? Just in case Trip and Virus find us? I’m sure you can fight, too.”

“I’m insulted that you ever thought I couldn’t,” Saeran smirked, “If I have to, I can punch a bitch.”

“Good to hear,” Aoba sent him off, “You two, be careful.”

“We will, Master!” Clear promised, giving Aoba a little salute, “You, too.”

“We will,” MC gave him the same reassurance. When Saeran and Clear were out of earshot, MC looked over toward Aoba, “Why did you send them away?”

“We could use the cover,” Aoba pointed out, “And if we find Seven in a not so good place, there’s no way in hell Saeran would react well to that.”

“And you think I will?” she wondered.

“You’ll be less volatile.”

“Good call,” MC agreed. _Saeran can be a little bit of a powder keg. Even if it is over Seven. _But then, as soon as MC and Aoba turned the corner, they found Seven. And Aoba was right to send Saeran away. However, he might be wrong about MC’s volatility, “Seven!”

Without another thought, MC ran to Seven’s bloody, beaten, and bruised body lying unconscious on the floor. Aoba ran to her side, “What is it, MC?”

“He’s bleeding,” MC couldn’t hold back tears if she wanted to, “Aoba, Seven’s bleeding. We have to stop it. We have to help him.”

“We will,” Aoba swore, keeping his voice down, “Clear, come here. Now.”

“What the hell was that all about?” MC gave him a look, “You told Clear and Saeran to go…”

“You called for me, Master?” Clear came in, “What is it?”

“I want you to take Seven,” Aoba ordered, “Bring him to Grams. If anyone can take care of him and keep him out of harm’s way any further, it’s her.”

“Yes, Master!” Clear scooped Seven up into his arms and took off.

“How did you do that?” MC asked.

“Do what?” Aoba got up from the floor.

“Clear was outside, Aoba,” MC pointed out, “How did you get him to come here so fast?”

“Clear can hear me,” he explained, “Through that power I told you about, Scrap. We never need to have mics on us. He’ll always be able to hear me when I want him to. It comes in handy sometimes.”

“Now,” MC went on, her eyes turning red, “Aside from your weird ass powers, who the hell hurt my man? And whose ass am I kicking?”

“Oh my,” a pair of men came into the room, both with evil glints in their eyes, “Would you look at that, Trip? Looks like the girl had more fight in her than we thought.”

“And to make things even better, she brought a friend! Hello, Aoba!”

“Trip…Virus…” Aoba’s stomach turned.

“We missed you,” Virus toyed with him.

“What have you two done?” Aoba asked, holding MC back.

“Nothing personal against you, Aoba,” Trip brushed him off, “We’re just here to wipe the RFA off the map. That’s all.”

“Why?” MC growled, “What has the RFA ever done to you?”

“How much do you know about the RFA, MC?” Virus wondered.

“Enough,” MC was ready to lunge at their throats.

“Well,” Virus went on, “Did you know that Rika used to intern right here on Midorijima?”

“So?”

“She interned with a man named Toue,” Trip added, watching Aoba out of the corner of his eye, “Does the name sound familiar to you?”

“No.”

“Yes,” Aoba chimed in, catching MC by surprise, “What would Toue want with the RFA?”

“Oh, no, no, no,” Virus stopped him, “It wasn’t what Toue wanted with the RFA. It’s what the RFA wanted with Toue. Because you know who we worked with.”

“Of course,” Aoba remembered, “Morphine couldn’t get further into Toue’s back pocket.”

“Rika was the one who had the original idea for Platinum Jail,” Virus sat next to MC, “And Toue ate that up. He adored Rika dearly. He almost thought of her like a daughter he never had. So, anything to keep his little girl happy, Toue started sketching out the idea for Platinum Jail. Around the time that happened, Rika did some digging in Toue’s files and found out all about you and Sei, Aoba. She wanted to run off with both of you in any way she could. But unfortunately, she couldn’t do that. Sei, yes. Sei was always around. But you? You were a little harder to come by. And you were the one she’d need the most. Sure, Sei could do quite a bit on his own, but you…You were the firecracker. The one that could do the most…let’s just call it the most damage. Your grandmother kept you very well hidden, though.”

“Aoba,” MC leaned over to him, “Who’s Sei?”

“My twin brother,” Aoba told her, “Again. More of that long story.”

“Long story short.”

“He had the same power I do,” Aoba explained, “Only instead of it being through his voice, it was through his eyes. Sei didn’t speak much. Toue kept him like that.”

“Rika still wanted you,” Trip continued, “More than anything. Toue’s idea of Platinum Jail became too corrupt for her taste. It became more about capitalism than her original idea of peace.”

“She wanted a perfect world,” Saeran came back, “She wanted to bring heaven to Earth, but she couldn’t do that and it pissed her off to no end.”

“Well, aren’t you a friendly face,” Virus awed, “I’m assuming you’re part of the RFA, too. Or are you just an innocent bystander who wandered in from the street?”

“He knows too much to be off the street,” Trip pointed out.

Only to get a glare from his counterpart, “Learn to read the room, Trip.”

“Sorry.”

“I mean,” Virus thought it over, “We could still theoretically destroy the RFA. It’s not like they’re disbanded quite yet. On the plus side, though, we did take out their hacker, so all we’d need to do now is…”

“What do you mean?” Saeran got quiet. Scary quiet.

“Go away,” Virus shook him off, “We’re busy. Let the grown-ups talk.”

“What did you mean, you took out their hacker?” Saeran growled, “What did you do to him?”

“How am I supposed to know?” Virus shrugged, “Trip, did you toss him to Welter?”

“Welter went soft,” Trip reported, “Even Allmates, at their core, still have their animal instincts. So, I took care of it. Last I saw him, the little pain in the ass was bleeding and unconscious. I don’t even know if he’s still alive.”

Like a switch, all of Saeran’s anger he had kept suppressed for so long finally showed itself as he threw a punch at Trip. Trip wasn’t expecting it to connect…or hurt as bad as what it did. Then again, no one could blame Saeran. Saying he was pissed was a massive understatement, “What did you do to my brother?!”

“We know all about you, Saeran,” Virus pulled him off Trip, giving Saeran a reciprocated sensation, “Rika told us all kinds of things about you.”

“You knew Rika?” MC asked.

“Of course we did,” Virus scoffed, “Where else would we have gotten our orders from? It was just before she died. Rika told us our plan and we just happened to put it in motion. And while she was telling us our orders, she told us all about you, Saeran. We know things that even your little friend MC doesn’t know.”

“You shut your mouth,” Saeran snarled, “Or I will gladly do it for you.”

“Saeran, no,” MC stopped him, “I’m sure they’re just trying to get in your head. You know who they work for. And you know who’s mastered the art of getting in your head and under your skin. Do not give in to that.”

“MC,” a few tears rolled down Saeran’s face, “They may have killed the only family I have left. They deserve a thorough ass kicking.”

“Saeran, come here,” MC took his hand, pulling him down to her level, “Saeyoung’s not dead. Yeah, he’s horribly injured, but he’s still alive.”

“Clear took him to see my grandma,” Aoba added, “She’ll be able to take care of him. I promise you. Luciel’s going to be ok.”

“Is he?” Saeran hoped, his hands shaking like a leaf in a tornado, “Are you sure?”

“Positive,” MC swore, “Trust me, Saeran. I’m just as worried as you are. But don’t let those assholes be the reason why you backslide. They’re not worth it.”

“But protecting my brother would be,” Saeran pointed out.

“After the fact?” MC settled him, “No. They won’t get away with it, Saeran.”

“MC…”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Saeran,” MC wrapped her arms around him, doing her best to calm him down.

“Are you angry?” he asked.

“Pissed. Why?”

“Because,” Saeran bit his lip, “I want to know what Mink taught you today.”

MC put two and two together in her head, knowing exactly what Saeran was trying to ask her. _You know I don’t want you fighting, Saeran. And I’m proud of what little restraint you’ve shown. But I understand. I know what you’re looking for, _“Would you like me to show you?”

“I’d be happy to.”

“Are you two done yet?” Virus rolled his eyes, “We do have better places to be other than to stand around while you have a moment.”

MC got up from the floor, ready to put up a fight. _For Saeran damn near going back into old patterns. For Seven’s blood on this floor and on your hands. For trying to tear apart my family. For every little way you pieces of shit have done us wrong. I just hope for your sake that I’m able to restrain myself, _“Yes. We’re done.”

“That’s good to know,” Virus blew her off, “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we need to go find the current leader of the RFA and finish Rika’s work.”

“You don’t go near him,” MC stood her ground.

“But we’re about to,” Trip told her, “We were on our way. Right now. It’s not like we don’t know where he is. You guys were good enough to show us.”

“It’s bad enough that you put your hands on my man,” MC’s eyes burned through them, “You are not touching V.”

“Aww,” Virus gushed, “That loyalty mixed with that fake toughness bullshit is so cute on you, MC. But really. We need to be going.”

Without another word, MC jumped on Trip’s back, using his size against him, and pinned him down to the floor, just like Mink taught her. If he had been there, he’d definitely be proud to see how far his student had come. Blow after blow, MC had gotten Trip’s face sufficiently bloodied up for her liking and started going after Virus. Although, by the time she was done with Trip, MC could hardly stand anymore.

“What’s the matter, MC?” Virus ran his finger up her neck, tracing her jawline, “All out of steam? I have to commend you for taking out Trip on your own like that. It was impressive. Get up, Trip. You’re fine.”

“Easy for you to say,” Trip staggered onto his feet, wiping the blood off his face, “You weren’t the one getting the shit kicked out of you. I didn’t think you had that kind of fight in you, MC.”

“Most people don’t,” MC struggled to catch her breath.

“But at the end of the day,” Virus sang out, his fist full of MC’s hair forcing his gaze, “You were wrong to go up against us. You’re weak, MC. All of that? That was an act. There’s no way you’d be able to take us in a real fight. You’re just a whiny little bitch that managed to get caught up in the RFA crossfire. If you want to go down, too, I guess that can be arranged.”

“You know, Virus,” Trip suggested, “She is kind of cute. We could keep her around for when we feel like having a little fun.”

“You have a point,” Virus loosened his grip, “I wonder if she puts out. And if she does, I wonder how bendy she can get.”

“You keep your damn hands off me,” MC shuddered.

“She’s probably a biter, too,” Trip assumed, “Or at least we’d make her into one.”

“And she’d probably be a squealy little shit, too,” Virus figured, “I guess we could work with that.”

“And could we…”

“No,” Virus stopped him, “We’re not bringing the cake back. She’s not Aoba. It wouldn’t be right.”

“MC!” a sweet, familiar voice called from the doorway. Unfortunately, she didn’t have her backup, but right now, MC would take whatever she could get.

“Jaehee…” MC sighed out, “I’ve never been so happy to see you. Finish them.”

“Who’s that?” Trip wondered.

“I’m not sure,” Virus looked Jaehee over, “I don’t remember seeing her. Who are you?”

“My name is Jaehee Kang,” Jaehee introduced herself, “I’m an assistant for Jumin Han.”

“I know that one,” Virus remembered, “He’s RFA, too, isn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“She’s just his assistant,” Virus scoffed, “What are you going to do?”

“It’s true,” Jaehee agreed, staring down at her feet, “I am his assistant. But _just _his assistant? No. I can’t agree with you there.”

“And why’s that?” Virus threw MC down to the floor and started moving in on Jaehee, “Are you going to put up the same front MC did? Because that didn’t exactly work out in her favor.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” Jaehee assured, “I know better than that. Aoba, can you get MC and Saeran out of here please?”

“Sure,” Aoba nodded, “But what about you?”

“I got it,” Jaehee promised, “I have this covered.”

“She does have the same front as MC,” Virus awed, “What is with the RFA having beautiful women try to be badasses? Is it a prerequisite?”

“I never said it was a front.”

As Jaehee went on to beat the ever-holy hell out of Trip and Virus, Aoba ran off with Saeran and MC, getting them somewhere safe as soon as he could. _As long as I can get them to the van, we should be ok. _Although, he wasn’t counting on MC blacking out and collapsing on their way out…


	28. Hiya, Cutie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, internet, it's been real. This is going to be the last chapter. For those of you who came here for the Mystic Mess, you're wonderful. For those of you who came here for the DMMD mess, YOU'RE A UNICORN AND I LOVE YOU. For those of you who blindly read anything I wrote, you're the true unicorn. And I love you most of all. But thanks for taking the ride with me. It's been fun. So...I'll let you get to it and I'm going to start a new project. See you later. xx

When MC woke up, her dizziness had yet to subside. She tried to sit up in her bed, but to no avail. Instead, she took a quick glance around the room. _Where…Where the hell am I? _The soft bed was a welcomed change from the cold cement of the warehouse. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to smother her throbbing headache. But she hardly had the energy to do that. _I know this isn’t the warehouse, but where is it? _

The door opened and a bright light shined in from the hallway, making MC pull the blankets over her head. _Owie. No. No light. No, thank you. _But then, MC realized who was in the room. As soon as he sat at the edge of her bed, he pulled the blankets down, making sure the door was shut first, “MC?”

“Aoba…” MC looked up at him, a little smile on her face, “It’s good to see you.”

“You, too,” Aoba pushed her hair out of her face, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m tired,” she sighed out, “I’m so, so tired.”

“I’d be surprised if you weren’t,” he giggled a little.

“Aoba,” MC took his hand, “Where am I?”

“You’re at my grandma’s house,” Aoba told her, “We’re safe here.”

Given everything MC had gone through in the last few days, she couldn’t help but be cautious, “And we can trust her?”

“Of course we can,” he promised, “There’s no one else on this island I trust more than her.”

“Good to hear,” she relaxed a bit, “And what about the others? Is it just me here? What happened?”

“Mink and Jaehee took care of Trip and Virus,” Aoba reported, “To look at her, I wouldn’t think Jaehee had that kind of fight in her.”

“Did you see?” MC wondered.

“Oh, yeah,” he nodded, “I wouldn’t want to mess with her in a dark alley.”

“I pity whoever makes that mistake,” she tried to sit up again.

“No, no, no,” Aoba held her down, “I know you want to, MC, but you need your rest right now. Especially with the medicine I gave you back there. We’re not sure how your body’s going to react to it. But I promise you. You’re safe. We all are.”

“Ok,” MC laid back down on her bed with one thing left on her mind, “What about Seven? Where is he?”

“He’s here, too,” he reported, chewing on his bottom lip, “He’s…still in rough shape. Grams is doing her best, though. We’re just waiting on him to come to again.”

“How long until that happens?”

“We don’t know,” Aoba winced, “MC…You know how I told you about my power?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“I tried using it on Luciel,” Aoba confessed, pulling MC into his lap, “I tried going into his consciousness, but he wouldn’t let me in.”

“That’s not a surprise,” MC chuckled to herself, “Seven and I are close as hell and I still can’t get into his head. Not often anyway.”

“But I actually have that power,” he went on, “I’ve never been ejected before.”

“It’s not pretty in there, Aoba,” she explained, “Nobody wants to be in there. I’m surprised Seven even goes in there. He’d probably kill me for saying anything, but both Seven and Saeran have been through more than what two people should ever have to go through. I’ve tried so hard with them to get them where they are today. And they worry the shit out of me, but they’ve made so much progress from the first time I met them. They break my heart every day, but on that same note, they’re still here. They’re trying. Where is he, Aoba? Where’s Seven?”

“He’s in the guest room,” Aoba cradled her, “He’s still resting. And Saeran’s here, too.”

“Anyone else?”

“V’s here, too. Everyone else went back to the hotel.”

“Ok,” MC could breathe a little easier, but she had something else on her mind, “If Seven’s in the guest room, where am I?”

“It used to be my bedroom,” Aoba smiled, “I know it’s not much, but it served its purpose once upon a time.”

“I want to see him,” she demanded, trying to get upright again. Pain shot through her muscles, but she didn’t care. She had more important things to worry about than herself.

“Hold on…” Aoba had his hands on her shoulders in attempts to force her back down to the bed, but despite her condition, MC was a lot stronger than Aoba gave her credit for, “MC, you shouldn’t get up yet.”

“He’s right,” an older woman walked into the room, “You’re not only adjusting to the medicine Aoba gave you, but you’re still coming down. I don’t know how much of the light drug you were on, but you were on the verge of overdose when you came here. You’re lucky to be alive.”

“Who are you?” MC asked, already back down on her bed.

“This is my grandma,” Aoba introduced her.

“You can call me Tae-san,” she sat with MC, moving Aoba out of the way. She shined a bright light into MC’s eyes, “Can you tell me your name?”

“MC,” MC told her, wincing from the intensity of the light.

“Who did you come here with?” Tae-san asked her, “I want you to tell me everyone’s name.”

“To Midorijima?” she assumed, “V…Seven…Saeran…Jaehee, Jumin, Zen…Yoosung…”

“And to my house?”

“I don’t know,” MC thought hard about it, “Aoba, for sure. Maybe Clear?”

“She’s all there,” Tae-san reported, “Anything else you can tell me, MC?”

“Mai-Ling…” MC gasped, her heartrate spiking, “What happened to Mai-Ling? When Seven wakes up and she’s not here, he’ll only fear the worst.”

“It’s alright, MC,” Aoba assured, “Mai-Ling is here, too. Last I saw her, she was laying on Saeran’s lap in a heavy sleep mode.”

“Good,” MC settled down, “I want to see Seven.”

“MC,” Tae-san stopped her, “Luciel is still…”

“I don’t care!” she snapped, catching Tae-san off guard, “I need to see him!”

“And I said too damn bad!” Tae-san retaliated, “You’re not going to be much of a help to him when you’re still high! You need your rest just as much as he does. You’re not going anywhere. If I have to get someone in here to make sure you stay, I will. No offense, Aoba, but that wouldn’t be you.”

“I understand,” Aoba let it go, “Let me guess. Mink? Koujaku?”

“Koujaku is much more personable than Mink.”

“Either one would be fine with me,” MC admitted, “I adore them both for their own different reasons, but you don’t need to call them in here.”

“Alright,” Tae-san got back up, “Then, you stay here and rest. We don’t need a flight risk in this house.”

“Fine.” _Go ahead. Call Mink. Call Koujaku. Hell, call both! No one’s keeping me away from him. _

“Thank you,” Aoba gave her a little smile, “If you need anything, MC, don’t hesitate to let someone know.”

“Ok.” _I need to know that Seven’s going to be ok. Not that I don’t trust you, Aoba, but I need to see him with my own eyes. _

“Get some rest, MC,” Tae-san pulled the blankets back over her, “In a little while, you can try eating something. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

“I will be.”

“Good.” Tae-san and Aoba left MC in Aoba’s bedroom and headed back downstairs to check on the others, leaving MC her opening. 

_You can do this, MC. It’s just one foot in front of the other. _She pushed herself upright. _Alright. One little victory. Let’s see how many more we can rack up. _Slowly, MC swung her legs to the edge of the bed. _We’re going good. Now…Don’t fall over and you’ll be fine. _Even though she had no clue where the guest room could be. If she could find Seven in the middle of a crowded mall when they’re trying to do their Christmas shopping, she could find him anywhere. _Always outside a Panda Express. I just need to find Tae-san’s Panda Express. And I’ll find Seven. _After stumbling her first few steps, MC found her balance again.

There weren’t very many rooms upstairs, so it’s not like MC had far to go. One was a bathroom. That meant the other one could only be one thing. _Bingo. There you are, baby. You had me worried. _

MC opened the door and peeked inside. Seven laid in bed, sleeping soundly. _I had visions of you being connected to four different machines, Seven. I’m glad you’re ok. Ish. As ok as you’re going to be. _Although, the bruises around his eyes and the drying blood wasn’t settling her stomach much. She didn’t care. He was here. He was in one piece. Instead of recovering in her own bed, MC crawled into Seven’s bed, wrapping her arms around him with the gentlest touch.

_I’m so sorry, Seven. I wish this was just a simple job. I wish nothing more than for it to have been us taking care of Noiz and the hole in the firewall and we call it a night. I wish we were sitting somewhere back home getting ice cream like every other time we finished a job. I wish you weren’t all beat to shit and I wish I wasn’t still high. But I’m so happy you’re here. I don’t know what all is broken on you, but we’ll heal. Together. I promise. I don’t care what Tae-san said. We don’t need to be apart from each other right now. Or ever again._

MC held back her tears. Even when she knows he’s asleep, Seven never needs to see her cry. _I love you so much…I just want you to wake up._

Then, she felt movement under her fingers and a soft voice broke the silence, “Hiya, cutie.”

“Seven?” MC looked down at the angel in her arms as he looked back up at her.

“Hi,” Seven smiled, still half asleep. But then, a sharp wave of pain shot through his body. His grip on MC’s hand tightened, “Ow…Ow…Ow…”

“What?” MC panicked, “What is it?”

“I just got the shit kicked out of me, MC,” he pointed out, “I’m pretty sure I got broken ribs. Broken nose…Shattered ankle…I’m a mess.”

“When aren’t you a mess?” she let him go.

“No, no, no,” Seven grabbed her arm and pulled it around him, “You stay. I’m just glad to see you’re ok.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m ok,” MC reported, “But I’m getting there. Hey, Seven?”

“Yeah, MC?”

MC’s body shook and her tears started bubbling up, “Don’t you ever scare the shit out of me like that again.”

“Hey, hey,” Seven reached up to her cheek, wiping away the few stray tears that got away from her, “Don’t you give me that. But I’ll make you a promise, K?”

“And what’s that?” she asked.

“I won’t scare you if you won’t scare me,” he bargained, his voice breaking, “You had me scared, too, MC. I didn’t know if I was going to ever see you again. When I heard they had you somewhere else and with someone else…I didn’t know what they were doing to you. One of them said something about drugging you. I didn’t know if they were going to make you overdose. On purpose, on accident, it’d all be the same. And what about the aftereffects? What would it do to your mind? Would it make you a vegetable? Would it make you forget me? Those weren’t things I was prepared to deal with and I don’t know if I’d be able to adjust quick enough.”

“But I’m right here,” MC kissed his forehead, “I’m right here. I’m ok. And I’m not going anywhere.”

“Good,” Seven cuddled into her the best that he could and shut his eyes again, content with the way things were, “Hey, MC?”

“Yeah, Seven?”

“I hurt…”

“Me, too,” MC sympathized, “But my pain is mostly in my head.”

“Can I ask you one little favor?” Seven cranked his neck back.

“And what’s that, Seven?”

“You think you could kiss it better?”

“You’re so damn cheesy,” MC giggled, gladly indulging Seven in his simple request, “Always.”

A couple days later, both Seven and MC had made considerable strides in their healing process (enough to where the rest of the RFA felt comfortable going home). Although, Tae-san wasn’t totally on board with them healing in the same bed, but she knew better. Keeping them apart would be next to impossible. Especially after what they’ve been through. Nothing would ever keep them apart again.

“Hey, MC? Saeyoung?” V knocked on their door with Mai-Ling sitting on his shoulder, “Can I come in?”

“There’s my little girl,” Seven gushed, reaching his arms out, “And Mai-Ling, you’re here, too!”

“Very funny,” V shook his head, letting Mai-Ling run down his arm into Seven’s chest, “Are you two ready to go home yet?”

“Yes, please,” MC nodded, “Don’t get me wrong. Midorijima’s been wonderful, but it’ll be nice to get back home.”

“And you are moving in with me,” Seven hoped, “Right, MC?”

“For maybe a week or so,” she stipulated, “I love you, Seven, but cohabitation is kind of a big step in our relationship. Let’s establish said relationship first and we’ll see how it goes.”

“I love you, too,” Seven laid his head on MC’s shoulder, cuddling Mai-Ling close, “I got my girls. I got my V. All I’m missing is my brother.”

“He’s downstairs,” V told him.

“Hold on,” MC thought for a moment, “When you say Saeran’s downstairs, does that mean everyone else is downstairs, too?”

“Aoba and Tae-san,” V said, “And Noiz. And Clear. And Koujaku.”

“Is Mink there, too?” MC assumed.

“Yeah…”

“So,” Seven figured, “The whole Scooby gang is waiting to send us off. That’s so nice of them! Besides, I want to exchange numbers with Noiz.”

“Really?” MC gave him a look, “Why?”

“Because,” Seven explained, “If he was good enough to hack into the RFA servers, then having someone like that in our pocket wouldn’t be a bad idea, wouldn’t you say?”

“Good call.” _Besides, I bet Noiz is really sweet down in his core. I wish we would’ve had more time together, but alas. Other shit to do and life got in the way. _

“Hey, V,” Seven asked, “Can we get ice cream on the way home?”

“I’d like to just go home, Seven,” V groaned, “It’s been a long trip.”

“Please?” Seven begged, “Please, please, please, please? It has been a long trip. But it’s also been a hard trip and I want some ice cream, dammit!”

“Fine.”

“Yay!”

MC and Seven followed V back downstairs where everyone had been waiting for them. Clear cried in MC’s arms (and if we’re being honest, so did Koujaku.). Aoba and Mink had to take care of the mess afterward, but then, there was Noiz. Noiz kept strangely quiet. One would think that after what they had endured together, Noiz would’ve had something to say. 

“MC,” he stopped her on the way out, “Do you think I could talk to you for a second?”

“Sure,” MC allowed. Seven looked back at her, making sure everything was ok. She sent him off and turned her attention to Noiz, “Is everything ok?”

“Yeah,” Noiz nodded, “It’s just…I kind of put you through a lot of shit while you were here.”

“I don’t hold any of it against you, Noiz,” she promised, holding his hands, “You were doing a job. You didn’t know it would’ve led to any of this. If you’re ever in our neighborhood, you’re more than welcome to hit us up.”

“I know,” he smiled, “Your boyfriend slipped me his number.”

“The hussy…” MC teased, “He was looking for a Rhyme match, wasn’t he?”

  
“You know it.”

“Why am I not surprised?” she giggled a little, “But I’m going to miss you, Noiz. Don’t let it be too long before we see each other again.”

“I won’t,” Noiz promised, throwing his arms around her, “Be careful.”

“We will,” MC waved behind her and got in the car with V and Seven.

Peace may be humanity’s biggest lie it tells itself. Chaos is everywhere. But it’s learning to thrive in the chaos that makes life so beautiful. And some of the best things…Love, friendship, kindness…will always be born from the chaos.


End file.
